tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55373894193469738862024-03-13T23:07:52.340-04:00Cheddar Biscuits and A GeniusIt's my opinion in blog form.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.comBlogger309125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-33259520516685538832019-03-03T14:50:00.001-05:002019-03-03T14:50:37.961-05:00Been a While. My BadSo it's been a while since I've done one of these. A lot has happened in the past few months since my last posting. In fact, I got engaged and married since my last post. The wedding was awesome by the way. We took our honeymoon at the end of January. Cruised to the Bahamas, and it was just great. I'm trying to plan another one for tomorrow, but the wife is telling me that we need to build the travel budget back up. She's right, so no argument here.<br />
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I'm sitting here on the couch listening to music (another perk to married life is I get to miss the sports that give me heartburn due to keeping music on and the television off). My wife and I listened to a sermon about how emotions are crucial to our lives and how to deal with them. In particular, acknowledging them through the many different Psalms in the Bible. There's like 150, so there's an emotion for everything; Sadness, Gladness, Madness, etc. Point being, God's Word can and should get us through everything.<br />
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I guess the emotion I'm feeling lately is frustration. I've been fairly frustrated with a lot of things going on in the world. Over the last couple of years, there has been a growing trend. The trend of anger and hatred. I'm seeing hatred spewed daily. Before you ask if this is another one of my social justice warrior blogs, I'll give you a spoiler: depends on what you consider justice. If you consider treating people the way God told us to in His Word to be considered social justice, guilty as charged. Anyway, this anger and hatred is being spewed from every angle of worldview possible. Some circles think the other circles don't care enough about one thing, while the other circles think the first circle is being over dramatic. Then there's the circle that just buries their head in the sand and pull their heads up once or twice a month to cash a check.<br />
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Here's my thought. First, remember the most important commandment God gave us: Love God and love your neighbor, equally, the same, evenly. Here's what that means, at least to me:<br />
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1) Talk to your neighbors. Especially the ones with whom you know you'll disagree. No that doesn't mean seek people of a different color, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, etc. Just means engage with people. It means ask them what their lives are like and vice versa. I think that we all, in the end, are seeking the same things.<br />
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2) Stop assuming that a disagreement means hatred. It doesn't. It just means that there's disagreement.<br />
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3) Speaking of hatred, if you're a blood-bought believer in Christ, the last thing you should be doing is spewing hatred. This shouldn't be difficult, but judging by Twitter, Facebook, and the like, it seems that my Christian brethren need a refresher on "Love thy neighbor." I've seen some pretty horrendous things being said by people I've known almost my whole life to be Christian. It makes me question if you're truly a believer. If this offends you, it's probably conviction. Calling people animals, immediately assuming that a group of people are just trying to ruin your way of life. These things are not what God wants us to do. I've seen way less Christian love from professed believers than ever. When someone is hurting, it's not your job to pile on them. Your job is to lift them up. I believe the Sunday school word for that is edify.<br />
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I know this blog isn't going to change people's minds. However I do believe that if enough people read it and do better, it could make life a little easier. I recently got into a very deep Twitter discussion (I know, crazy right?) about some things. I can't remember the subject matter, and in the end, it probably doesn't matter. I do remember that the conversation was civil, educational, and uplifting for everyone. We all thanked each other for the good conversation without insults. I'm not sure if anything changed, but at the very least, we have a better understanding of each other. That's what this life is about. Understanding what people who disagree are seeing. It's about point of view. You don't necessarily have to relinquish your worldview (unless it's hatred towards people, then you should probably consider it), but you can see what the other side is saying.<br />
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It's a crazy world out there. Last thing we need is brokenness from the ones who should be most in sync with each other.<br />
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I'll try not to wait a year and a half between blogs.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-82957208123500190302017-08-12T22:20:00.001-04:002017-08-12T22:20:19.144-04:00You're On the Team, NowGood evening, all. It's been a while. My bad on that. However, I feel like today is one of those days I need to vent. I'm sure you're aware of what happened today in Charlottesville, Virginia. The hurt that I felt today equated to how I felt about the Virginia Tech shooting. The Virginia Tech shooting happened not far from where I live, same as today's events. Today, I fought back tears as I read the news from those events. It hurt my heart to know that people were so opposed to black people doing relatively decent in things outside of athletics or entertainment that they'd meet around a stupid statue to tell people they're taking the country back.<br />
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My biggest issue has been that way too little people are condemning this White Nationalist/Supremacist/Ku Klux Klan. People are just stating that it's an anomaly. People just say that it's from "every side." Every side? Come on, man. Until both sides lynch people for being the opposite color, it will never be a multifaceted thing. There isn't a reason people who claim to have love for their neighbor and their Lord to just call this a one off. It's not a one off. This has been the thought and belief of many people since the 1600s if we're being honest.<br />
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I'm not from Virginia. I've lived here for almost 14 years. It's home enough for me. I've met wonderful people here. Some of my best friends live here in Virginia. I met my girlfriend here. I have a church home here that I couldn't leave for almost anything. Virginia is my place. However, sometimes I question this place and how they come up with their thoughts. Being honest, sometimes I their love affair with Antebellum confuses me. I might catch some heat from folks, but it's time to let this stuff go. There is literally nothing that these past relics are doing for us in this day and age.<br />
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So, what do I mean by my title? Well, it's simple. If you're not speaking out, condemning, or just angry at this because of the white supremacy foolishness, then you're on their side. It's really that simple. You have to have a stance. You can't look at this and holler "we all bleed the same" or "let's just hold hands like Martin Luther King said" and be free from this. No, your silence is deafening. The trippy thing is that people that I grew up looking up to haven't been terribly vocal about this. People just throw "well Black Lives Matter" or "Black Panthers do bad things too" out there hoping to be exonerated. Sorry, you're on the team now. You're either on the side of love, or you're a White Supremacy sympathizer. There isn't a middle ground, not any more. I'd say there may have never been a middle ground. Let's be clear. I'm not calling you racist. I'm not calling you a bigot. I'm just saying that you have to choose a side. The side of love or the other side. I choose love. The Bible says in 1 John 4:20 that if a man says he loves God and hates his brother, that man is a liar. If you tell me you love the Lord, but don't condemn these hate groups, you don't love. You're fake.<br />
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Ladies and gentlemen, and I may be talking to more of my Christian friends, but you're all welcome to join me. It's time to bring love back. Don't immediately jump to the new political strategy of "whataboutism." Whataboutism is when instead of agreeing that something is wrong, immediately say "what about (insert counter group)?" It's time for Christians to condemn hate, show love, and stop thinking this is just a sad episode. It's more than that. White supremacy has been an enemy of me and people like me since the slaves were freed, and even beforehand.<br />
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You all know I love you. I want you all to be blessed. I want you all to know that the God I serve does not sign off on this. This is just from my reading of the Word of God. If someone can find in the Bible where this kind of behavior is okay, please show me. If we want to be known as a Christian nation, let's work on loving our neighbors. Let's work on standing up for the marginalized, victimized, and scrutinized. Let's work on being the church that reaches out to those who need help, love, and support. Let's just do things the right way, and let go of the legalism for a minute. Just long enough to show the hate groups that they don't represent our God.<br />
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God bless.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-37932416763829047562017-01-19T22:24:00.002-05:002017-01-19T22:24:48.044-05:00An Open Letter to AmericaDear America,<br />
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It's me, Tyrone. Just wanting to give you a hello from the home office in Roanoke, VA. I know it's been a while since my last blog, but I figured with all the crazy stuff going on, I'd give you a solid and speak on things.<br />
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First of all, I'm not sure if you're aware, but a new person is going to be president of our great country. Despite his best efforts to the contrary, he got enough of you to believe in his bill of goods to vote for him, so congrats Donald Trump. Way to get people to trust you enough to have maybe the most important job in the world. I know you'll do a great job because I think enough people are going to attempt to hold you accountable to that job.<br />
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I now want to send a huge thank you to exiting president Barack Obama. I want to thank you for doing something that most folks just dream about. I remember saying that I'd like to be president one day and my mom half-jokingly said, "No, I don't want anyone shooting my baby because he's the black president." Honestly, I couldn't be president because I'm way too honest and petty. You can't be a smart alec president, way too many people would get offended. Anyway, all that to say that in the face of a lot of hate simply because of the color of your skin, you got less than a fair shake. I've heard it said that if a black person wants to succeed in a white dominated profession, they have to be perfect on the first day and improve every day after. I've heard the same said about umpires and referees, but whatever. I want to thank you Mr. Obama for giving every black kid the belief that they don't just have to be an entertainer or an athlete to succeed in this country. You don't have to be handsome, fast, or able to do incredible things with a ball to become great. You did all this with a class and grace that no one has seen in a long time. Your family has been exemplary. Your dignity in the face of outright bigotry is astonishing. Another reason I can't be president, I'd have lit the first bigot up with Julia Sugarbaker type insults. If you need to ask who Julia Sugarbaker is, I'll address it in my "Southern Female TV Characters and the Tyrones That Love Them" blog.<br />
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Tomorrow, they will be swearing in Mr. Trump as president. Cool. Wouldn't be the first time someone with complete disdain for dignity took the oval office, won't be the last. I'll just do like I've done every presidential cycle since I read 1 Timothy 2:2 which tells us to pray for kings and those in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. I will pray for my country. Yes, despite some folks best efforts, this is my country too and I will pray for it without ceasing. I will pray that Donald Trump can lead our country. I will pray that everyone in our country can live the life that the Constitution says we should live. If that means that my tax dollars have to help a poor family get cancer treatments, then so be it. If it means I have to stand next to a Muslim to keep him from being harassed by a fellow Christian who forgot how to love their neighbor, I will definitely do so. If the LGBTQ (and S) get bothered and treated unfairly, I will show them Christ like love. People say hate the sin, love the sinner, but forget that. I got enough sin of my own to worry about. I'll just love you and see what happens.<br />
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I want my country to be unified. You know what that means? It means you stop calling people that are upset "snowflakes". You sound immature. You sound ignorant. People have been protesting things that aren't right since the people of Israel were being beaten by Pharaoh and his people. Were the people fighting slavery "snowflakes"? Were the people trying to defeat segregation "snowflakes"? Are the people fighting the DAPL "snowflakes"? Remind you that the people in the city of Bismarck voted no on the pipeline first and suggested they build it on the indigenous people's land instead. Point is, standing up for what you believe in has been on of the pillars of our country. It's the backbone of America. However, people are now complaining about what we should protest. If you think something is wrong, fix it. The problem is people have very strange definitions of wrong. And just to be ornery, don't tell people to get over a loss while waving a Confederate flag.<br />
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Today, I'll do what I always do. I'll pray to the one who sits on the throne. I'll consider Christ and Christ alone as my standard for integrity, class, dignity, and love. I made a promise after the election to show the love of Christ so that people will know that Christians that truly love the Lord don't ascribe to the book of Trump. I've done my best. I've stumbled. I've rocked the boat. However, I've also done what I could. I bought a lady a sandwich during a snowstorm. I've donated to charity. I've tipped a little better than before. I'm going to continue to be a good steward of the Holy Spirit by continuously loving my brothers and sister. Yes, that's all of you.<br />
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So, am I happy that Trump won? No. I can't stand politics and neither Trump or Hillary would have eased my mind. But I am happy that I live in America. A land where I can say what I want, when I want, however I want about things that distress me. If you don't like what I said, sorry. When you pay my bills, you can have my opinion. Until then, God bless America. Yes, I live here too. Yes, I do like it here and would not want to live anywhere else. But that doesn't mean my house doesn't need a few upgrades.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-1194058295291749802016-09-25T13:43:00.001-04:002016-09-25T13:43:22.640-04:00Social Justice Warrior...or Christian with a Heart.So it's been a while since my last blog. I guess I lost track of things. So if you've been anticipating another one of these, my bad.<br />
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I want to start with a confession, particularly to my followers on Facebook, Twitter, and this blog in particular. I love you. I seriously do. You wouldn't be a part of my social media circle if I didn't think the world of you in some way. My prayer for you more than anything is that you have the best this life has to offer. Not your best life today, that's the word of a heretic. You don't want that. I want you to be blessed by my God, my life, and whatever else brings you the joy you may have.<br />
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That being said, there are a lot of terrible things happening on this planet, and in this country to be specific. Hatred, bigotry, prejudice, and ignorance is running roughshod over our people. People are throwing the Black Lives Matter movement under the bus in a way I've never seen. However, the great men and women in law enforcement are also being thrown into a basket of deplorable folks that isn't truly deserved.<br />
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Law enforcement are wonderful human beings, for the most part, that just want to protect and serve. However, sometimes we forget that they are human. Humans are emotionally charged at times. Humans mess up sometimes. We have to be able to forgive when they do mess up. However there also has to be accountability. We need more people in law enforcement that say, "hey, he messed up, we love him. However he needs to answer for his mess up."<br />
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Black Lives Matter is a group of folks upset over the mistreatment of black people in America. If you're against that, good chance there's no help for you. All Black Lives Matter wants is accountability for police overreach. All Black Lives Matter want is equal punishment for a rape of a woman. The black man that gets convicted properly and sentenced for 20 years in prison for rape isn't what BLM is trying to stop. It's when a white person who swims at a college gets 3 months in a jail with special privileges because prison is bad place. That's why BLM is upset. BLM isn't upset when a black man gets a life sentence for murder. You're supposed to get that. It's when a white man gets parole options and after 5 years for a murder. BLM isn't upset when a white man gets arrested for a mass shooting. They're upset when that white man gets Burger King bought for him and protective custody while a man lying on the ground with his hands up gets shot while trying to protect his patient from having a breakdown.<br />
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What needs to happen? I'm glad you asked. We need to understand that racism exists. Racism is not, "you (insert trashy racial slur here), you should go back to Africa." That's ignorance. Racism is not, "you can't date my son or daughter because you're a different color." That's prejudice. Racism is not, "I hate (insert any color person)." That's prejudice. Racism is doing all you can to keep black people from gaining standing in the country you run. Republicans telling black people that they can't have a job or that they won't vote to fund public schools with a majority of black students is racist. Institutional racism if you want to be specific. Democrats looking a group of black people in the eye and promising them welfare and affirmative action is racist. Anything that keeps a minority from living the American Dream that gets talked about all the time is racism. Hence why reverse racism is not a thing.<br />
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I just want you folks to understand why I feel so passionate about justice. I've posted a ton of things about racism and police overreach lately. It's gone noticed. However, I do it for a few reasons. One, I'm called by Christ to stand up for those that may not be able to stand. Christ stood up for the poor, destitute, hated, and ostracized. If my goal in life is to be more like Christ, then that's my job. Two, I'm worried for my country. I want my country to be a place where my children can live without the fear of being harassed by police. Notice I didn't say harassed by police, but the fear of being harassed. People give the old, "don't break the law, you won't be harassed" speech, however they have not accounted for those that are looking for a reason to harass. It happens, people. You have to accept that.I don't want my kids to see the news and think the police are bad people. I want my kids to trust the police.<br />
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These are the reasons I'm not heartbroken about the anthem issue. I love America. It's a great place. However, Charleston, SC is a great place and it's had its fair share of bad things happen to and in it. America has bad things happening in it. People are saying terrible things about each other in the name of "squashing political correctness." Look, you can call bad things what they are. That's cool with me. However if you call people terrible names and say ignorant things because you're against political correctness, you're doing it wrong. I stand for the anthem because it's my way of letting those who hate my being here (and there are more than you think) know that I'm American and there's nothing they can really do about it. I stand because I love America. I don't love what she does sometimes, but I love her. I'm not sad about people not standing for the anthem because it's their way of letting you know they're not thrilled either. Again, instead of reacting with vitriol and anger, try asking why they're angry. Try getting a grasp on their concerns. Understand that their hurt is a bigger deal than the anthem being stood for. Why, you ask? It's simple, the song has no feelings. It's not going to be upset. In the very end of all this, what matters is people. People are our main concern.<br />
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I want more than anything for there to be more dialogue. So I'm going to continue posting injustices. I'm going to continue to post politically charged posts on my Facebook. Real talk, if I want change, I'm going to start conversations. Just remember that I love you through all of this. I want to learn your reasoning. I want to understand your thought processes and what you see. I'm reading your posts. I'm understanding your ways. However I'm going to continue to hold fast that sometimes, you're coming from a perspective of inexperience. Not ignorance, racism, hatred, or anything like that. Just inexperience.<br />
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I'm also calling for all Christians do a better job of respecting people. It seems like lately my fellow Christians have forgotten that justice is the biggest goal. That means you stop calling people thugs. Unless you're being satirical in order to drive home a point, no need for name calling. No need to be dismissive when someone tells you they're hurting. This country is hurting, and it could use some strong solid Christians putting an arm around it. My goal is simple. I want to give back better than I have been. Doing more mentoring. Posting more news stories about things that are wrong and how we can fix it. Engaging in and instigating more dialogue to better understand each other. So I'm asking you to join me in this. Discuss. Engage. Talk. I don't even care if it gets heated. Dialogue is important to solve these problems.<br />
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I don't know when I'll post another blog. I'm probably going to do one or two a month. Thanks for humoring me.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-62225863561029437072015-08-18T09:53:00.001-04:002015-08-18T09:53:12.684-04:00End of an EraBefore anyone asks, this isn't a personal affront to anyone or any particular time in my life. Just something I've noticed lately.<br />
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Now that that's out of the way, to the task at hand. I have a question about life, and in particular, interpersonal relationships. When did we get so bad at interpersonal relationships? I'm not talking about being nice to people. I'm talking about accepting and trusting in someone who is being nice to you. I know, that's a weird question. It seems as if lately, people have stopped accepting kindness, but what happened?<br />
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I'm going to go somewhere that may offend people, but I'm allowed to say whatever I want on my blog until you pay my Internet bill. I think the rejection of kindness started with the Feminist movement. I truly believe that Feminism basically shut down the idea of a male being genuinely nice to a female. There was a belief among Feminists that when a male showed any kind of kindness, there were ulterior motives, imagined or otherwise. It's unfair that a certain sect of people can dictate how other people are perceived.<br />
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Another reason is that there are jerks out there that are untrustworthy. We think of the Bill Cosbys, Darren Sharpers, and other men who have used substances to take advantage of women. It's come to a point where no one trusts a nice person anymore. There's a feeling that someone wants something else. It's kind of bothersome.<br />
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I think the evolution of the family has a lot to do with things. Stay with me on this one. Way back when, the father stayed with the family. There wasn't nearly as much divorce or even cohabitation as there is now. Families are doing things backwards: having kids, moving in, then maybe marriage at the end. Anyway, when a father was in the home, they taught their sons and daughters to ask about intentions. Fathers would sit down with their daughters' dates, after they knocked on the door and were let in the home, and asked, "What are your intentions with my daughter? I want her back by 9:30, 10:00." That doesn't happen anymore. When you don't know someone's intentions, you really have no clue what to expect. The result is being taken advantage of to the point where you don't trust.<br />
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Also, the stigma of being alone isn't helping. This generation cries about being single so much. Being single doesn't make you a bad person. However, because being single is such a terrible vice nowadays, people aren't diligently researching potential partners. When potential partner hurts them, they lose trust. When someone comes along that is trustworthy and kind, they again dismiss them because of all the other times they were hurt.<br />
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Ego is a huge factor as well. What happened to humility? People are so egotistical that when someone just says hello, opens a door, or is just genuinely kind to them, it's automatically chalked up to that person wanting more than is being presented. I'll put it this way: you could be the most gorgeously baked, crispy peach cobbler with the most decadent of whipped cream. There are still people that don't like peaches. You have to stop assuming that your attractiveness is a factor in why people do things for you. Maybe for some, but not all. Take it on a case by case basis. Makes life easier.<br />
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My point in all this is that we as human beings have to stop shutting down the notion that people are nice for the sake of being nice. People have to stop judging people based on other people when it comes to kindness. If someone is being nice, it doesn't mean they want to take advantage of you. I think we have to stop thinking that we're so amazing that everyone who wants to be respectful to us is being phony. We also have to do a better job of teaching people how to understand intentions. We also have to do a better job of being trustworthy. We have to stop giving people reasons not to trust us.<br />
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Kindness doesn't have to be the means to something else, it can actually be the end. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-55548508001131307672015-07-03T13:57:00.006-04:002015-07-03T13:57:43.288-04:00Just Thinking Out LoudLately I've just been fascinated by people. Some people are jerks. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by that considering we all are born with sin in our lives. However, it's just so funny how people who claim to love others and want everyone treated fairly gets so hostile when someone doesn't particularly agree with whatever stance they're taking. I guess if people feel passionate about it, I can understand. People, though are getting much worse at understanding why someone feels the way they feel.<br />
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I fell into the trap of commenting on a news story about the Confederate flag. I asked a simple question, "what heritage does it truly represent?" I didn't get a lot of feedback from the supporters of the flag. The ones that did respond simply said that it was a part of the celebration of the Southern way of life. I asked what about the Southern way of life did they love the most. There really wasn't much of an intelligent answer after that. Just a bunch of "it's not slavery", "don't be so sensitive" and the like.<br />
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This has been how I've been responded to any time I've had a discussion about the flag. It's fairly annoying how folks can't truly discuss this without being defensive. I've learned that the more defensively hostile someone gets about a subject, the more they know they might be wrong about it. The best thing, or not, is when someone tells me it's like my African heritage. News flash: wasn't born in Africa. My heritage growing up consisted of pro wrestling, Voltron, and string cheese. My point is that it's silly to get this defensive over a flag, particularly a flag of a country that doesn't exist anymore. I've seen more Confederate flags these last few weeks than American flags on my Facebook. That's troubling considering it's almost the 4th of July.<br />
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Now, I'm going to put this out there with little to no care how you feel about it. The Confederate flag is stupid. It's a waste of cloth and dye. When it was flown in the late 1800s, it was a battle flag for a treasonous group of people. Forget the slavery part, the fact is the Confederacy committed treason against the United States of America. They attacked the United States in hopes of getting their way of life to be adopted by the entire country. There was a changing of philosophy that the South wasn't interested in.<br />
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Part of that change was the fact that folks realized that owning people and treating them like second class, inferior citizens wasn't what the Constitution meant when it said "all men are created equal." The South particularly would have suffered the most from the sudden drop of property value and personal equity with the freeing of slaves. If there is one thing that everyone, misguided or otherwise, is motivated by, it's the loss of money.<br />
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After the war, the flag was adopted by white supremacy groups who thought it would make a good intimidation tool to the suddenly free black people. The same white supremacists who declared that they were seceding from the Union because they wanted black people to remember their place below the white man. I digress. They waved the flag during the lynching of black people and when black people were attempting to do anything of significance in America. It was raised again during desegregation. Now South Carolina claims that they first raised their Confederate flag on their state house to commemorate the beginning of the Civil War. However, I do find it fairly convenient and coincidental that the Civil Rights Movement was happening at the time. If you really want to get a grasp for when and if the flag was a part of an effort to squash the desegregation of schools, look at some of the schools in the south with the mascot of "Rebels" or even in a case of a school my school played against in sports, "Confederates" and figure out when they adopted said mascot. If it was in the 60s or later, pretty good chance they didn't want black people there. Hence the flying of the Confederate flag at their games and even flying them at the school itself. Point being, this flag is divisive. No need for that.<br />
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Now people are getting upset because certain entities are distancing themselves from the Confederate flag. As far as government places, I'm all for it. A government can't be married to something divisive. I feel the same way about them jumping on the gay flag bandwagon too. No need to align yourself with a divisive symbol. And before you ask, the Ten Commandments tell us not to kill, steal, or lie. If you're against that, there's no help for you. Anyway, as far as private companies, it's their prerogative. If Viacom doesn't want to air Dukes of Hazzard, as much as I'm against that because I enjoyed the show, it's their right. If NASCAR wants to separate themselves from the symbol, by all means. It's not fair to boycott and dismiss companies because they want to make everyone feel comfortable being there and expand their market base. When you're a business who wants to make money, you have to think of everything. Now, if not making money is your thing and you're just willing to serve to a particular fan base, then you can do that too. I'm not going to stop you, and no else should either.<br />
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My point in all this rambling is that the hostility over this particular flag is useless. People are going to feel how they feel about it, no matter how much you try to dress it up as heritage, hate, controversy, or indifference. I have people I'm very good with that like that flag, and that doesn't bother me because I know their heart. And I've shared my thoughts with them, and they're cool with it. However for those of you that feel like it's your place to tell me what I should and shouldn't be feeling about the flag, kick rocks. I go with what I see, and I see a flag that can hurt people. I see a flag that causes division. I see a flag that brings terrible memories to folks much older and wiser than me. However, I also see a waste of cloth and dye.<br />
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Pledge your allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, ONE nation under God, INDIVISIBLE with liberty and justice for ALL.<br />
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Always remember that just because you may not sign off on it, it's a fact that most people don't see that flag as doing anything particularly good for the country. The country that most supporters claim to love...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-87761296842982198562015-06-20T21:35:00.004-04:002015-06-20T21:35:45.996-04:00My Feelings on My TownI know it's been almost forever since my last blog. I apologize. I'm a busy person. I do stuff. Anyway, I figured today would be a good day to share my feelings. However, I feel I need to lay down some ground rules. These are my feelings. You don't get to tell me how I should feel. You don't get to tell me that my feelings are wrong. You don't get to give me grief about my opinion and feelings. I'm being completely reactionary.<br />
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My first feeling was absolute fear. I called my mother immediately after I heard the news. I hadn't spoken to her in a while. We're both busy people, it happens. I was scared that there was a madman on the loose in my hometown. I worried about my friends. I worried about my family. I worried about other landmarks that I've seen and visited in Charleston since I was seven years old. What about Market Street? How about the Harbor? Was Waterfront Park on this kid's list? I was scared.<br />
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When I first heard the story of him targeting this church, it turned to confusion. Why would you go to a church to shoot people? Was there less guilt in sending Christians to Heaven? I was confused about what may have been his motive. I didn't want to believe the ultimate motive, but considering it was a very historical A.M.E. church (the first one in the South), it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility, which led to me next emotion.<br />
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I was pissed. I was angry that a person would target black people. I was angry that someone thought so little of black people that their only option was to shoot nine of them dead. After being welcomed into the fold by said black people. After being loved on enough to open the Word of God to him, he felt the best way to repay them was to spew some hateful garbage and then shoot them. It angered me that my Christian brothers and sisters were slaughtered like they were in a Muslim country. However, the anger didn't just stay with this situation.<br />
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I became angry at responses. People dismissing this man's sin and hatred as "just another case of mental illness." People even blamed Obama for this man's sin. I'm sorry, but I don't believe the President of the United States of America would encourage violence towards others. In fact, he made it a point to say that he's had to address a mass murder of some sort 14 times during his two terms. Think about that, then tell me that it's his fault. I was mad at Fox News for telling us that we shouldn't consider this a race crime because it might make some people upset. I was mad at some of my Facebook friends for their undying allegiance to any opinion that was similar.<br />
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I then became proud. I was proud because I watched on Thursday morning/afternoon a mass of Charlestonians singing "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand." It made me so proud that I bawled. I bawled like a baby. I have no problem admitting that to you. It was a mix of pride in my city, love for my Lord, and sadness in my heart. I was proud of the Facebook friends that posted constantly about prayer, love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and pride. It made my heart glad that there were people who felt like I felt.<br />
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I then became confused again. During those news reports that I watched vigilantly, a state politician made this eye-opening statement: "If we can't be black in church, where can we be black in America?" It was a good question. Church is supposed to be kind of a safe haven. That place where you can share your love for God, your struggles with life, and your support for your Christian brothers and sisters. It disappeared for those fleeting moments. I saw in my mind and in my heart black folks being terrified, nervous, or confused about church and the banner of love Christ puts over us. I could totally understand that. However, I was still confused as to how a place like that wasn't that place.<br />
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I then felt relief. When I heard the news that the shooter was captured, it calmed my spirit down. It's okay to be nervous. It's a natural emotion. Thank God for Debbie Dills and her quick thinking. She says she's not a hero, but she is certainly someone we can take an example from. Do the right thing, no matter what. God knows the right thing, He'll tell you if you let Him. She did, and he's in jail.<br />
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I then was angry again. I was angry because I saw an image that frightened me, but didn't overwhelmingly surprise me. I saw the Confederate flag flying high while the American flag and State flag of South Carolina was at half mast. It made my blood boil that the one thing that most black people consider to be the most offensive, divisive, evil symbol in America was flying high and proud as their people were in complete mourning over the atrocity that happened. You would think that the General Assembly (state law prohibits Governor Haley from any say in when and if the flag comes down, so she gets a slight pass even though she should use some executive powers, throw up deuces to the racists, and tear down that flag) would have some class about them. That flag flying high tells every black person that even when the worst happens to you, your feelings don't matter. They may not have said it, but it's a sentiment. That angers me. What angered me more was that there were people defending that flag. They say that it's a defense of a way of life. That way of life included going to a foreign country; either brokering a deal or flat out kidnapping people; dragging them on a boat and shipping them thousands of miles away from their home; parading them like farm animals at the county fair; selling them; and forcing them to do backbreaking work all because you'd rather sit on your front porch and drink lemonade. That's the right that the states flew that flag for. I'm sorry, but that's evil. Dragging people around, beating them, forcing them to work, bathe you, or have sex with you is fricking wrong. That flag tells black people that they are less than a person. The Confederate flag that was put on the state house in 1962 was a blatant middle finger to desegregation and the Civil Rights movement, case closed. My anger is geared towards anyone who defends dividing the country. And telling me to get over it, it wasn't you so don't worry about it, stop being offended, or anything like that is a one way ticket to me considering you dumber than mayonnaise. That's one of those opinions I'm asking you to let me have.<br />
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However my anger multiplied even more when I see Judge Idiot Face (stole that from WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins) demanding the victims' families to feel bad for the alleged shooter's family instead for themselves for just losing someone. I'm going to hope that this judge doesn't ever preside over a case again. He used the n-word during a bond hearing. I'm pretty sure he's one of those dumber than mayonnaise morons. How can someone say those kinds of things at that time. And it wasn't like he softly professed that this family was sad, I'm sure they were, but to demand that people just coddle the shooter's family is ridiculous.<br />
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However, now I'm at peace. I'm at peace because my God is strong. My God showed Himself in my hometown. My God is being magnified and glorified in the darkest time. I've had terrible feelings about Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Jonesboro, and many other places. However, seeing the streets I've walked, rode past, or driven past affected by a tragedy is a special kind of hurt. However, I know my God is bigger than anything. I cannot hide my bias, Charleston just wrote the book on "How to Come Back from Adversity Before Sharpton Shows Up."<br />
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I said it before, I'll say it again. He shouldn't have messed with buckle of the Bible belt. Wrong church, wrong city.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-30015581265646102442014-12-06T17:05:00.004-05:002014-12-06T17:38:48.388-05:00Try to UnderstandBy now, you're all aware of the grand jury decisions in Ferguson, Missouri and Staten Island, New York regarding police officers and deaths of black men. Before I get into a diatribe, I'm going to state that police officers are a valuable commodity. I have family that was in law enforcement. My AWANA JVs leader was a police officer and had a significant impact in my salvation and spiritual growth. I have friends that are police officers that are godly people who love the communities in which they live and serve. When I had my house fire in March, police were highly comforting to me. They cared about my well being and what happened with me after the fire. All in all, police officers are wonderful pillars of the community.<br />
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However, some things have happened lately that frighten me to no end. The first thing that has happened is an 18 year old young man was shot and killed. No 18 year old should be shot, no matter the circumstances. The next thing that happened was that the same young man that was shot was left in the middle of the street way longer than necessary. The next thing that frightened me was that everyone took to two extremes in the situation. They either dismissed the people who lost a brother, a son, a friend, or a cousin; or they dismissed the feelings of the officer that tragically shot the young man that day. Darrin Wilson empathizers were dismissing the feelings of black people, calling them over reactors and race baitors. Michael Brown empathizers were dismissing the wonderful work that police officers do because of one fatal shot. It's not right on either account. When the grand jury failed to indict Officer Wilson, everything broke loose. It's not fair to either side of the debate. Whether or not the evidence was there or not, there is no excuse for destroying innocent bystanders' property. That breaks my heart almost as much as the loss of life.<br />
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It's gets worse. Back in the summer, a video surfaced of a man being confronted by police and then taken down in a choke hold. Now, the man was breaking the law. The police were in their right to confront him about it. However, the choke hold wasn't just barbaric. It was illegal. The choke hold has been banned for years, and this officer used said maneuver to take down the man. Sounds pretty much like a slam dunk, right? At the very least, this will be taken to trial and the officer will get a chance to truly defend his actions. This was even on video. Nothing happened. I'm outraged that something so simple was missed.<br />
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If a police officer kills someone in the line of duty to save their own life or the lives of others, that's fine by me. I understand that. However, when there isn't accountability for the taking of the life, or at the very least, a legit explanation of actions, it bothers people.<br />
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The trend #BlackLivesMatter is popular because black people aren't seen as human or worthy of survival, based on the last two high profile grand jury decisions involving black men. When a football player goes to prison for a year and a half for basically shooting himself in the leg while a police officer gets set free for choking a man to death, it makes that hashtag all the more poignant. When people get more outraged over dogs being hurt by a football player than black employees being hurt by a southern chef who has a TV show and a propensity for butter, can't help but ask why us. We have a black President of the United States who has been disrespected by Senators, radio hosts, and the like since he decided to run for president. And yes, I'm aware that it happened to the president before that, but it also happened to the president before that, the president before that, and the president before that. My argument is that it seems to be way more prevalent nowadays as opposed to before. Yelling in the middle of the State of the Union address, making it well known that your plan is to make the president a one term president, or literally telling your radio audience that you wish the man would fail at the expense of your country's success are all examples that a lot of people just don't want black people to be successful or blessed.<br />
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However, I do have to take my people to ask as well. It's unfair to destroy small businesses in search of justice. It's unfair to disrupt life for our own gains. All it does it hurt our chances of finally being seen as equals. The last thing we need in this firing range we call America is to give those who dismiss us ammunition. I'm calling to task all those protesters to make absolute sure you're not hindering the cause. If you're doing a simple walk, march, or stand-in, by all means, have at it. Wake up those who don't understand. If you're looting, rioting, flipping cars, and just being a nuisance, please realize what harm you're doing.<br />
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Overall, I ask that both parties show respect. To the police empathizers, understand that black people have been through at lot and I think there is a bit of last straw syndrome. To Brown and Garner empathizers, I ask that you remember that being a police officer is ridiculously difficult. You have to make split decisions. You're away from your family for extended periods of time. You're putting your life on the line with the potential to leave your family with little to no warning. Stress and pressure can play a major role, and if they're not properly dealt with, can lead to some disastrous results.<br />
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Our best bet for these kinds of things is prayer. Pray for those who protect and serve. Thank those who have been given the unenviable task of keeping the peace. Pray for those who feel hurt or slighted by a "civilized" society. Try to understand how they feel. Don't give them the "suck it up, buttercup" speech every time black people share their frustrations. It's time to start understanding people. It's time to stop picking a side for the sake of picking a side, or worse, gravitating to one side because we're expected to join said side. Just treat each other with respect. Our futures are on the line and sooner or later, the final straw is going to be reached and all you know what is going to run loose. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-28080057567073732162014-09-08T22:54:00.003-04:002014-09-08T22:54:33.064-04:00The FellaI'm sorry I haven't given you much recently. Life has been a roller coaster for me lately. Highs such as going on a mission trip to Cleveland, Ohio a week after LeBron returned; seeing one of my good friends accomplish something he's worked hard for for years; and getting a decent raise. Lows such as being turned down for a ton of jobs I'd interviewed for; having a friend have some troubles; and my Packers getting stomped.<br />
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This past Friday was both a high and a low. You may or may not have been aware of a ton posts, tweets, and random musings about "The Fella." For those who may be unfamiliar, I worked part time for a company that provided support to folks with intellectual and/or physical disabilities. For two and a half years, my assignment was The Fella. This past Friday was my last day with him. He has started the next step in his life. He has moved out of his home and into a group home. This is the best thing for him. He needs to be free of his mother's home and try to do things on his own. I'm sure he'll succeed as long as the group home he's in cares for his success.<br />
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Over the course of my time with The Fella, I've learned a lot about myself. I've learned that life sometimes isn't about all boring things like bills, work, and serious things. Sometimes, a dude just needs a bag of chips and a soda. You have to learn to enjoy simple things in life like throwing rocks in a river. I mean we would literally spend hours sitting at a river chucking big rocks and skipping little rocks until one of us got thirsty. We'd play countless games of HORSE at a basketball court. Sometimes, it was just sitting down and watch Scooby Doo and Three Stooges when it got rainy outside. Just enjoying those simple things taught me that I don't need to take myself so seriously.<br />
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I also learned that even those little things are important to people. I can't count how many times I've had to deal with The Fella's temper when I beat him at UNO. When he'd stomp away after he got the final "E" in HORSE after trying to make that show two turns ago, it's just his way of expressing his frustration with both himself and the situation. I had a Youth Ministry professor at Liberty put it in perfect terms: "You can call it puppy love, but it's still real to the puppy." A stupid little game of UNO or basketball may not mean much to you, but to The Fella, it was everything. Sometimes in life, you have accept that people's loves are not your loves, and you shouldn't judge them for it.<br />
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Friday was our last evening together. It started when I took him to his favorite place to eat, Rancho Viejo. He saw his favorite waitress after she had her baby, so that made him happy. He ate what he always eats, cheese dip with hot sauce in it. He also stared at my black beans thinking they were raisins. We walked his dog, watched Three Stooges, and talked about his new life. When it was time for me to leave, he began to cry. That brought me to a few tears as well. I do get to hang out with him. I promised I'd take him places every so often and just have friend time. I probably won't see him for a couple of weeks just so he can get used to not having me around all the time.<br />
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Sometimes, I ask myself if I'm doing the right thing working two jobs. Outside of the financial gain, is it worth it? Well, after working with the Fella for as long as I have, I can say it is definitely worth it. His friendship has been invaluable. So, here's to you Fella. You've been great. You will succeed far better than your imagination. Just remember what you've learned about keeping your emotions in check and remembering that you don't hurt those you love. You're going to do great. Thank you for teaching me many life lessons.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-58680226663146297692014-07-04T13:00:00.003-04:002014-07-04T13:00:25.497-04:00America and StuffSo it's been a while since I did one of these and figured today would be a good day to just vent. A lot of things are on my mind. I guess it's time to share them. I'll probably upset the masses, but what else is new?<br />
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It's America's birthday. It's a day where we celebrate the freedoms we were given by the sacrifices of those before us. Although I really can't claim much of the history because more of the people of my ilk were kind of forced over here. We helped in the effort, but I don't think we were as dedicated to the cause. Nevertheless, I'm thankful that I live in a country where I can spout my opinion and love my Lord with little to no repercussions. I may get a concussion from an angry reader, but I'll chance it.<br />
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Speaking of America, what the heck is happening? There are so many issues that are just so pressing and crazy. Take for instance the case of the man who supposedly forgot his toddler was in his car for hours and died from heat exhaustion. There is no excuse. What makes it even worse was that the father was researching overheated car deaths weeks before this happened. What's even worse than that is his wife was researching as well. The young child had 2 insurance policies on him. It's frightening that there are children who have parents like this. However, we shouldn't be surprised. We live in a terribly selfish country.<br />
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Speaking of, that goes to my next rant. This whole Hobby Lobby thing. Basically, the Supreme Court says that Hobby Lobby has a right to not pay for every contraceptive. I don't understand why this is a big deal. Hobby Lobby didn't want to cover four abortifacient drugs. The "War on Women" pundits always talk about the government needing to stay out of the womb. Now that Hobby Lobby was given the right to refuse to pay for abortifacient drugs, these same pundits are now begging the government to intervene in their wombs. Most of the employees of Hobby Lobby aren't complaining. If this particular decision is truly that devastating, they'll leave. However, it seems that outside sources like to spend other people's money, so they'll just tell the employees to strike and fight back, you know how this goes. Oh, the money Hobby Lobby saves by not paying for those drugs can go towards the minimum of $14/hour they pay their full time employees and $9.50/hour for part time employees. Yeah, they're real jerks, aren't they?<br />
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I'm about to watch this hot dog eating contest. This cracks me up every year. A bunch of people eating ignorant amounts of pig parts and bread for 10 minutes. The world record is 69 in ten minutes. The dude said he could do 73 if it's a perfect day. Perfect day? His day will be littered with bathroom trips and Pepto Bismol. There's nothing perfect about that.<br />
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I'm pretty excited about an opportunity I have in a couple of weeks. I get to go to Cleveland, OH and do mission work. I'm not particularly sure what I'm doing, but I'm going there with an open mind and heart. I'm not going there with any expectations. I learned if you expect anything out of a mission trip, you'll be disappointed. If you go with nothing in mind, you'll be blessed. You can't force the Holy Spirit and God's will. You can only sit back and let them work. This will actually be my third trip to Cleveland. If any Ohio peeps are in the area, find me.<br />
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Apparently I missed the BET Awards. Black Evil Television isn't really my forte. Today's music is terrible. It's garbage with no end in sight. The shameful part is that there are people who think this is the best stuff ever. Terrifying that the people who think this will one day put me in a home when I'm too old to fight back. <br />
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God bless you all on this holiday. Remember to protect your dogs from the morons with firecrackers. Protect yourselves from the morons who don't know when enough booze is enough. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-40724938290713655272014-03-23T20:02:00.004-04:002014-03-23T20:02:37.766-04:00When Things Go BoomYou know, sometimes in life, things just go completely wrong. I was absolutely stunned today by some crazy events. It started with me heating some oil so that I can fry some chicken. I was using a different oil than I usually use per a Rocco Dispirito recipe. I like Rocco, he's a good cook. Well, I've heard that anyway. Well, I'm in the kitchen bouncing from place to place when all of a sudden, I hear a huge pop and my pot's in flames on the stove. I tried to reach for the baking soda but the flames were already too high and couldn't get to it without burning my arm. I called 911 immediately, trying to get help. My upstairs neighbor was already knocking on people's doors, getting everyone out. Thank God that the Roanoke Fire Department Engine 1 got there within minutes of me calling them. To say I was frightened would be the understatement of the century. This was probably the first time I showed fear in a situation since my childhood.<br />
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I thank God that no one was hurt. I thank God that the damage was cosmetic. I'd take a picture, but honestly, I'm not up for reliving that right now. I thank God that I can sleep in my own bed tonight because it's not nearly as rough as the fireman thought it would be. I thank God that I still have a microwave, a toaster, a George Foreman grill, and my Keurig machine, so no hunger here.<br />
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I often wonder why bad things happen. However, I was quickly reminded of my pastor's words over the last month. When you're doing things right for God, the Devil is at his most sinister. I don't think he said it like that, but it fits. I serve in a lot of capacities at my church. We just had a great meeting about Easter Sunday and all the wonderful things we want to do for the community. I, involuntarily, became the point of contact for the children's activities portion of the meeting. I'm okay with it, but I've never been the administrative type. Just tell me what to do, I'll do it. So this is really outside of comfort zone. We came up with some awesome ideas, and today was going to be the day I did some research on prices of things, but this fire happened. I guess I was a little distracted. This fire, as crazy as this sounds, was exactly what I needed to know that I'm doing things the right way. Even when I've disappointed God, and I have, trust me, I still get the opportunity to serve Him. When I serve Him, the Devil fights back. He tries to keep me from doing things the right way and doing what I ought to be doing.<br />
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Some of you reading this may not believe that a good God would allow this to happen in the first place, and that's okay. Believe what you want, but I know my God. I know that God has a plan. I comforted my neighbor who was scared to death. My landlord was more than gracious to me. My other neighbor, who actually called me a sweetheart yesterday while I was walking with my laundry basket, was calmed down and had no damages. I know that God will use this in a remarkable way.<br />
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A good bit of you friends have been nothing but supportive of me, and I thank you so much. Your prayers kept my place in tact and still livable. The firemen did an outstanding job of keeping abreast of the situation and keeping my place in tact. Again, thank you to the Firemen of Engine 1 in Roanoke for their quick response and calming words.<br />
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I think some cookies are in their future, when I get my stove...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-73456462410006260352014-02-22T16:28:00.000-05:002014-02-22T16:28:07.092-05:00Free and BraveI've noticed that there is a huge commotion over a law that has been passed in Arizona. If you're not familiar, basically the Arizona State Legislature passed a bill that would allow business owners to refuse services based on religious beliefs. I'm pretty sure that this law was made to give Christian business owners the right to deny Gays and Lesbians services to their establishments. As you can guess, there is a huge stink. People are shaking their fists at the state of Arizona, calling them bigoted and intolerant. Other groups are saluting the lawmakers for allowance of religious freedoms.<br />
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I always ask this question: Why are people so enthralled with getting something from people who clearly don't want anything to do with them? If you're one of those people who are being discriminated against, why go through all the trouble? If someone doesn't want to give you business, go somewhere else. Here's how it usually plays out: person goes to business; business says, "no"; person files huge lawsuit, spending hard earned money on lawyers who couldn't give two spits about your predicament because they just want your money; and you still didn't get the service you were looking for. Sounds kind of stupid to me. Instead of wasting all your time, money, and energy on silly things like lawsuits and picket signs, why not just go somewhere else. Then when someone asks why you didn't go to the original, you can calmly say, "they weren't good enough." <br />
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Look, I understand that discrimination exists and isn't right. However, we can't be so in love with getting someone back that we forget that other people have rights, too. No matter how archaic and medieval the beliefs are in your mind, it's still theirs. You don't have the right to try to ruin someone because they don't think like you do. Again, I know about discrimination. I grew up in a town that thinks the Ku Klux Klan is just misunderstood and that Martin Luther King, Jr was just a troublemaker who didn't know how to leave well enough alone. I get it. However, I will always believe in every person's right to whatever they choose.<br />
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People might ask me what God thinks about my stance. God believes that people should ultimately follow His will. What that will is, you have to let Him tell you. I do believe that God isn't going to go out of His way to make sure a gay couple can't marry in a garden because the owner has convictions. If the owner values money, it really won't matter who comes walking through the door. However, if the owner has convictions and beliefs, no amount of money is going to change his mind.<br />
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This happened in the 60s and 70s with black people. Except, of course, they were hosed down and had dogs released on them. If someone doesn't want my business, I leave. I go about my business and find a place that will take my money. No need to go fussing and complaining and spending my money on a lawsuit. Just roll out.<br />
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American businesses have the freedom to choose who they serve. American people just need the bravery to accept it and move on.<br />
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And this is Arizona, you should be used to this by now, right Chuck D?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-41864583880071471612014-02-05T21:49:00.004-05:002014-02-05T21:49:44.173-05:00Comeback BlogIt's been a while since I posted a blog. My bad on that. <br />
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Today is my birthday. I decided not to do too much for my birthday. However, this could be one of the best birthdays I've had in a while. <br />
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It actually started yesterday when I baked a bunch of cookies for my co-workers at school. I said I would do it, so I did. They were a hit, thank goodness. I got some goodies from some co-workers. It really made my day. A lot of well wishes from people, as well as perplexed looks when I told them how old I was. It was nice.<br />
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I had a nice time with my folks at church and the youth group. I got my Burger King crown. The folks went around and said one thing they liked about me. It was special hearing those things.<br />
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I know that my birthday is the day where I'm kind of a big deal, however it's just humbling to know that your life is regarded so highly by people you love and respect.<br />
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In general, I have to say that this was an awesome birthday. Just knowing that people care so much about you is really encouraging.<br />
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As I'm thinking about this birthday, it's a chace to look back at last year. A lot of things have happened to me. I moved to my own place. As sad as having no roommates is, it's good for me to live alone. <br />
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I've cut the cord. I have dropped cable television from my life. I now use the Roku box. I basically pay for the Internet and subscriptions to Netflix and HuluPlus. Cut about 50 bucks from my monthly budget. That's a good thing. I have about 50 Roku apps that range from sports to movies to classic TV shows. <br />
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I recently witnessed the Ken Ham-Bill Nye debate. Atheists will tell you that Nye won. Christians will tell you that Ham won. God won the battle. His Word was shared to millions of people. Even if the people didn't want to hear it, they got it. I think that was Mr. Ham's mission. As a Christian, I am proud of the testimony and witness that Ken Ham showed. Christianity isn't about outdoing someone or proving someone right or wrong. It's about sharing Christ's love. One thing I saw in Ken Ham was God's love. You can hate the things of God all you want, but God isn't one to show off, so have at it.<br />
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Apparently, George Zimmerman wants to do celebrity boxing. One, when did he become a celebrity? Two, if he wants to be a boxer, why didn't he just outbox Trayvon instead of shoot him? I wish Jason "Mayhem" Miller was still doing Bully Beatdown. George would get crushed. <br />
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I want to keep this blog going, so I'll try to post one a week. Just talking about life and what I go through.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-42819973231256368852013-07-13T23:14:00.003-04:002013-07-13T23:14:35.123-04:00Just Take A MinuteBy now, I'm sure you all know the verdict that was just handed down. I won't lie to you, I'm flabbergasted that the jury couldn't even get manslaughter out of it. To be exonerated of all charges, I can guarantee you that George Zimmerman is luckiest man on earth. I don't understand this, I'll be honest. I've watched the case for the most part. I've kept up with the evidence. I've kept up with the phone calls, the animations, and the experts.<br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqN1SI27OP-uZpXt1wwkUM20Ygdhp1mBsnCj4XLzXSpIEqHPKn" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqN1SI27OP-uZpXt1wwkUM20Ygdhp1mBsnCj4XLzXSpIEqHPKn" /></a>I'll start with the elephant in the room, was this racism? Depends on what you're asking about. If you're asking me if I think George Zimmerman's reaction to Trayvon Martin walking around in his neighborhood in the rain in a hoodie (a perfectly natural thing to do when it's cold and rainy), then yes, I think George Zimmerman was being a racial profiler and a bigot. If you're asking me if I think the case and the verdict was racist, honestly no. I think the jury went with what they got and came up with a verdict. I don't really like to jump on the "that's racist" bandwagon unless the N-word or other terrible words are being used or if horrible crimes against black people are being committed. I personally thought that Zimmerman was guilty because he became a vigilante. I'd feel the same way if the races were reversed. I'd feel the same if these were women or one person was a woman. It doesn't matter. I really believe that Zimmerman was looking for trouble that night. <br />
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I want to jump to what this means. I feel like this means a lot. First of all, Florida has a history of racially charged incidents and crimes. This does nothing to put more faith in Florida as far as that goes. Florida laws have been written, re-written, and translated in the hopes of stopping this. However, loopholes seem to be more prevalent there than most places. Second of all, I think this could lead to some really bad things. With the uprising of social media, Internet, and instant information being transferred in seconds, this could really start a firestorm. Remember how bad it got in Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict announced? There was no Facebook or Twitter to spread that word. This could be bad for the state of Florida. This could be terrible for Zimmerman. I honestly think "Not Guilty" was the worst verdict for him considering how we're all vengeful people in some ways. There are people out there that will attempt to end Zimmerman. This is dangerous. <br />
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This also means that a lot of Gun Control supporters are going to be hitting this place hard. I'm not a big gun person. They just don't appeal to me. However, I'll always support a person's right to have and own a gun if they are proven worthy and competent enough. However, I do believe that Florida needs to revamp the "Stand Your Ground" law. They really need to make it clear when someone can use their gun to defend themselves. If I see someone unfamiliar, I'm not chasing them down to see what they're up to, whether I have a gun or not. Seems like "Stand Your Ground" invites that attitude. Someone needs to re-write that a little better.<br />
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The worst thing about this case is that a 17, would be 18, year old boy is no longer with us. Parents have lost a son. A senior in college lost his little brother. An unfairly vilified young lady lost her best friend. The world lost a young man to, in my opinion, a senseless act. There is nothing that a "guilty" verdict would have done to change that. I'm looking at my Facebook feed, and I'm seeing people seemingly happy or okay with this. I don't think anyone can be okay with this. At peace, maybe. Understanding that there is a higher purpose in all this, absolutely. But, just okay? People have lost someone. It's terrible. There is no justice in that.<br />
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I look back to times in my life where things seemed completely unfair. I've been brought to tears over some things. However, I know that there is a better tomorrow. The Martin family will heal. It will probably take a very, very long time. The Zimmerman family will heal. It will probably take a very, very long time. The best thing to do is rely on God. God's provision will suffice. I know Zimmerman got a lot of flack for saying that this is "God's plan." I do have a hard time believing that God wanted Zimmerman to shoot an unarmed teenager going to his dad's house. Just like I have a hard time believing that the people who murdered my dad were carrying out God's plan. I do believe that God will stand with us through these terrible trials. We just have to be patient and trusting. We also have to be sensible. I'm pretty sure most, if not all of you reading this aren't going to start a riot. So the next best thing is to pray and hope that those in Florida who are hurt, crushed, humiliated, and unsure don't do anything rash. I'm typing this as I see Black Panthers on the television screen. <br />
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Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. That's how I'm going to cope with this thing. You do what you do.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-14378382697234761542013-06-27T17:12:00.002-04:002013-06-27T17:12:47.883-04:00No Offense...I kind of laugh when I hear that phrase. People say that to kind of soften the blow of their words when they know for certain it's not a good thing to say. Seems like words are getting more and more offensive. You can hardly say anything without a watchdog group or a special interest group sending protesters to your front door. Every other phrase causes a boycott, petition, or rally to pop up. It's really starting to get annoying. However there are a few words that don't need to be said, ever. There is no excuse for it. There is no reason for it. There is no justification for it. <br />
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Lately, it's been about Paula Deen and her words. Apparently, Paula Deen recounted in a court case how she's used the N-word in the past. As a result of her admission, she was vilified by the public and fired by Food Network. This has caused an outpouring of support by Paula Deen supporters as well as applause by those who felt her words were unforgivable. <br />
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I'm pretty glad that Food Network did what they did. I'm glad they took a stand against this kind of behavior. I'll go into more detail on why I'm glad they did it, but it's not because of her use of the N-word. I'm going to say this about the N-word. It's a terrible, awful, horrendous, and evil word. It tears people down. It rips people apart. It's a word that causes strife and brings to mind the terrible atrocities done to Black people since they were brought to America as slaves. I know I wasn't there for slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, or segregation; however the remnants from those times before are very well prevalent. I'm bothered that Ms. Deen used those words, however I'm even more bothered that people in general use that word. Rap artists, kids on the streets, racists, and bigots all use that word as loosely as my jeans are since I did Insanity.<br />
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The use of that word is terrible. I can pretty much guarantee you that if Ms. Deen used that word once, she's used it 1000 times. How would I know? I grew up in the South. Anyone who can use that word once, can use it over and over again. And not just Paula, but the rest of the people I listed have probably used that word easily. So yeah, I'm going to go ahead and call it like I see it. If Deen used that word like that, I'll venture to say that at the very least, she feels black people are slightly inferior to her. I couldn't care less what the circumstances are. I work with a young man with Autism. He has done some things to me that hurt, a lot. It sucked. However, if I were to call him the R-word because he's hurt me, I'm no better than Ms. Deen. Being hurt by someone is no justification for using any totally offensive words.<br />
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Now to why I think Ms. Deen was rightfully fired. It really has more to do with her attitude about Black people. The reason I believe her firing was justifiable was because of her plans for a family member's wedding. She felt it would be a good idea to hire a bunch of African American wait staff and dress them as 19th Century slaves. Please give me one way that that is a good idea. For someone to have that kind of flippant attitude about a whole group of people is shameful. That's why I'm glad Paula Deen was fired. She doesn't think everyone is on equal ground. She believes her group of people are better. That's my issue. Her treatment of an African American general manager at her restaurant is the reason her firing was good in my book.<br />
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I do think that Paula's actions are just a small problem. There is a terrible epidemic of people thinking other people are beneath them. There is a terrible problem of Black people treating other Black people wrongly. The use of the N-word probably being the most evil of all. How in the world can we expect other people to treat us with respect if we can't do it ourselves? You know how we avoid saying bad words around our kids because we don't want them to repeat them? Well, I think Black people should do the same. Avoid using things that upset us so that other people don't do the same. <br />
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Paula Deen didn't make a mistake. She chose to use that word. Let's stop calling it a mistake. Let's call it what it is, sin. It's a sin to say horrible things about other people. It's a sin to consider people lower on the totem pole than you. It's a sin to consider people less than you. Paula Deen's problem isn't a use of a word "once." Paula Deen's problem is her believe that she is superior simply because she isn't Black. Like I said, if she's said it once, she's said it too many times. And from past experience, that once isn't all.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-71267572301096470822013-06-16T15:18:00.004-04:002013-06-16T15:18:54.462-04:00What If...So obviously it's Fathers' Day. If your Facebook friends' random pictures of their dad didn't tell you, I'm sure some suit store commercial did. Fathers' Day has a completely different meaning to me. You see, I was only blessed to have my father in my life for six years. I won't go through all the details, but he passed away tragically. I had a stepfather who wasn't quite sure how to be a father, or any kind of man for that matter. I have a stepfather now who I know loves my family very much. I don't get too choked up or concerned about Fathers' Day because of all those factors.<br />
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I always wonder, "what if my father were still alive today?" It's quite the haunting thought. I think about if I would be in the position I would be in right now. I wonder if I would have the life I have. Would my family have moved to South Carolina if Dad were still alive? Would I have been as active in church? Would I have even gone to church? It's a really deep line of thinking. It's almost like soul searching, really. <br />
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I think it's better not to think in those terms. In the end, God has me exactly where I need to be. Everything that has happened in my life is exactly the way my life was supposed to go. We always talk ask, "why do bad things happen to good people?" The truth is there really is no such thing as good people, just people doing good things. We're all kinds of messed up sometimes. I think things happen to us to teach us lessons. Sometimes, those lessons are hard. Sometimes, those lessons come days, weeks, months, even years afterwards.<br />
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I think that happened to me. My father's death when I was six was very confusing. However I truly believe that God had a plan. It took pretty much my college career to truly realize that plan. I know some of you are rolling your eyes at the idea that God had a plan through all this, but it's the truth. When I saw God leading me to teach youth, I saw the light. When the Good Lord led me to be in special education, I really got the idea. <br />
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My father's death was truly saddening. It was maddening as well. It was just a bad time. However now that I know that it was the catalyst to how my is life now, I'm not as bothered by it. I also know that my father is in Heaven, watching down and cheering me on. It has taught me about faith, strength, and patience. Patience especially. Patience for God's plan. Patience with other people. Patience with life in general.<br />
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I want to wish all those fathers out there. Not babydaddys, that's a stupid and disrespectful term. I'm talking true fathers. Those who dedicate their lives to their kids. Those who do everything to make their kids better, including treating their mothers with respect. I want to say Happy Fathers' Day to you. Be blessed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-52795093243890765322013-06-12T00:16:00.000-04:002013-06-12T00:16:00.798-04:00Here we go again...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kYofm5d5Xdw" width="560"></iframe><br />
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So apparently this commercial has caused a lot of issues. There is a healthy amount of people, and by healthy I mean an amount larger than 1000, that believe that this commercial is awful simply because the family is interracial Considering that scientifically speaking there is only one race, it's more like the family has differing amounts of melanin in their systems. However for the sake of this blog and the controversy, we'll just go with different races. <br />
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Anyway, I wonder why people have such a problem with interracial relationships and families. What is the big deal with someone dating someone that isn't a match? In particular, why do people avoid the interracial relationship for themselves? I've kind of narrowed it down to five reasons. The first four can be fixed with a little open mindedness and introspection. The fifth, well there's really no hope, but you'll figure that out when you read it. Anyway, here we go. And if you're one of those that had a problem with said commercial, maybe you should figure out your hang ups and try to fix them.<br />
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1. No Opportunity<br />
Sometimes you just don't get the opportunity. You have nothing against it, you just haven't met anyone in that category. And that's cool. Some people live in neighborhoods where it's not possible to do so. Sometimes, you meet that childhood sweetheart and don't even bother to play the field. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe the opportunity will come for you and you'll see that they're not all that bad. <br />
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2. Not Your Preference<br />
You don't have anything against it, but you like your future husband or wife to have certain traits that quite frankly aren't possible with other races. I mean I guess it's possible, but you'd need surgery, hair dye, contacts, and drugs to accomplish it, see Michael Jackson. You don't have anything against it for anyone else, but you don't find that particular side of the melanin scale. If you're wondering, Asian women aren't really my thing. However if I find that particular future wife and she happens to be Asian, I'm not going to complain. God has a sense of humor, I'm used to it.<br />
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3. Family Issues<br />
You may not have an issue with it, but you're deathly afraid of being disowned by your family. I totally understand. Family is important. They shaped and molded you into who you are today. However, there has to come a point where you make a decision. You have to decide if your happiness is less or more important than your family. And trust me on this, if your family has issues with who God may have for you, God will set you up anyway. I've been in that situation where the family wasn't a fan. Once I realized that that person was more interested in keeping their family happy than keeping themselves happy, I eliminated that person. At some point, you became a grown up. Time to make grown up decisions without fear of consequence.<br />
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4. Biblical Reasons<br />
Now it gets dicey. There are verses and passages that tell the Jewish people to avoid other nations and races. However, we have to remember that the Jewish people back then were quite gullible to other religions and forgetting God's grace and word. This doesn't apply to us Gentiles, or anyone really. God really doesn't have an issue with two Christians being together, even they're different colors. So once you realize that it's not a sin and it's okay, you're good again.<br />
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5. Inferiority<br />
This is the reason that I believe is hardest to get over. Once you believe that any race is inferior, you're pretty much not going to change. You have to really think about your thoughts on other people going forward. When you see a commercial with an interracial family, you first ask "what's that doing with that?" That's not a good look. Point being, thinking anyone is inferior is terrible. You need to work on that. You're not that perfect, so stop thinking that.<br />
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I've thought about this thing for a while. I used to just think that people who were against it were just racist, bigoted, ignorant folks. However, I've had to adjust my thinking. There are reasons things like that happen, and it's not just people being against me or others. I've had to humble myself to the fact that people have extenuating circumstances. <br />
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It's time we as Americans realize that people that aren't like you and me exist. We also have to realize that people that don't look like you or me date each other. We also have to realize that sometimes, they have kids together. They also get married. They live long, happy, healthy lives. And their kids are great looking, for what it's worth. It's time we stop fussing and complaining and start accepting. Like I said, nothing illegal is happening, so whatever.<br />
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I'm open to discussion, friendly banter, and what not. If you feel like giving me your side, feel free. I enjoy it. I embrace it. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-20077255591600736512013-06-08T21:48:00.001-04:002013-06-08T21:48:18.339-04:00Summer TimeAnother school year has come and gone. This past Wednesday was the last day of school for the county I work in. I have to say it was an interesting year. There was a lot change just during the year. I saw kids develop and grow into tougher kids. I've seen kids develop their skills well beyond any expectation that some doubters had. It was a pretty amazing year.<br />
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I made some pretty amazing friends. I already have some great friends, but I made more. You can never have too many amazing friends. I looked it up, amazing friends limits just don't exist. My co-workers were awesome. I learned a lot from them. I know that's weird considering I'm kind of an elder statesman, but if you're not learning, you're wasting your life. <br />
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I think about where I'm headed both this summer and my future. I'm in that weird zone of what I would like to do and what I am doing. I'm kind thinking about doing some classes to just go on and get the full teacher license. I'm looking at different avenues. Hopefully does avenues are cheaper and less time consuming. Although, time consumption can keep me out of trouble. <br />
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I have summer time. I know I'll be working with the fella, but I actually lucked out and got a pretty early shift. That gives me all afternoons and evening to myself. Maybe I could pursue that higher education thing. I also plan on hanging out with my friends more. I plan on going to Wednesday night church more often. I plan on playing golf a little more. I figured out a cheaper way to get lessons. Just find my way to where the tour pro is teaching and eavesdrop. Genius, I tell you. I want to go to baseball games. I want to get on a kickball team. Yeah, kickball. Which reminds me, if you're interested in playing with me, send me a tweet @TheOnlyTyronly or message me on Facebook. <br />
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I've been blessed to have some time to see my family. My nephew is growing like a weed. And honestly, he's a lot smarter than kids two and three times his age. He's also very short sighted. Kid can't stay still long enough to complete a task. I guess we all were that way at one point. Shoot, I didn't even talk till I was three. It was just a lot of fun seeing my family again. I'll see them again in August, along with my former high school classmates for a 15 year reunion. That will be fun. <br />
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I'm also going on an awesome mission trip. Last year I went on a mission trip to Sugar Hill, GA and it was tremendous. This year I'm going to Chattanooga, TN. Again we'll be helping build and repair homes. That's what missions is, being helpful to those who need it. Not just talking to them, but doing things that no one else would do for them. It's supporting and helping those who can't quite help themselves. <br />
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Overall, I'm excited about this summer. Not sure where it's going to lead me, but I know I will have a good time finding out. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-75994344837073637302013-05-05T22:02:00.001-04:002013-05-05T22:02:35.987-04:00Insanity Mission AccomplishedWell folks, it's official. I have finished my Insanity journey. It took days of dedication. Dedication not just to the exercises, but to healthy eating and living. That means avoiding fast food, for the most part. I do believe that it's okay to have it once in a while. That meant getting proper rest. That meant avoiding sodas. I think I had two sodas in the past 2 months. That helped me a lot. I also had a lot of support from friends and family. Many people that just wished me well in my endeavor. People who have noticed my change. It's just amazing to know that a lot has gone into this. The biggest and most important thing is God's grace. God's grace helped me through this program. I can't thank God enough for giving me the strength to do it. <br />
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I did what's called a Fit Test to start the program. Every two weeks, you do this Fit Test to track your progress. You do eight specific exercises. My progress from opening day until now is nothing short of amazing. I increased my totals by as much as 400% from opening day until the final test. <br />
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My body has changed so much. I'm about to post some pictures of the change in my body. I'm not really about that kind of thing, but I feel like I should show the differences. I started the program weighing 229 pounds. I now weigh 210 pounds. I started with almost 16% body fat. I now have slightly over 10% body fat. My waist is about 4 inches smaller. My upper body is super toned. I have endurance and flexibility that I haven't had since high school. Maybe even more, to be honest. <br />
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I have some great aspirations now that I've finished this program. I want to do something I have wanted to do for a pretty long time. When I was in middle school, I thought about maybe attempting to do the Cooper River Bridge Run. It's a 10K race done in my hometown of Charleston, SC. I would love to do that now that I've gotten in way better shape. So, I'm going to throw my name in the hat and do it next year. I'll probably do a few smaller races too, but that's the one I want to do. I think with enough training and practice and dedication, I could do some damage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1f2N7qmcjNBFkHt4oJqpKdTLN5TvEXJIWPBzo7uK9hPh1Xn5GQLd308cBjtpxmn8bxVUZYRyhY6p0rY6lJtdRJ0MnO-OauuCvAHx3rv-3DMNZWPD6Jt_5x49KEFRB3JFo5HmHHGt2sriQ/s1600/Insanity+Week+1+229lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1f2N7qmcjNBFkHt4oJqpKdTLN5TvEXJIWPBzo7uK9hPh1Xn5GQLd308cBjtpxmn8bxVUZYRyhY6p0rY6lJtdRJ0MnO-OauuCvAHx3rv-3DMNZWPD6Jt_5x49KEFRB3JFo5HmHHGt2sriQ/s200/Insanity+Week+1+229lbs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening Week 229 lbs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7Rz_BI3oHI3uHBMEOtVeeMfGNdKtkxHArAa2j-Wmd9nQu0oKzlxKh0fuP_WlQIeSYJCdLKUm3nrD5EGwfq5cb_KfV-feLSl0lxjbOTA_KKg6BSTXq4TrUZHhQpwycYYAlzrZSI5entez/s1600/Insanity+Week+2+224lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7Rz_BI3oHI3uHBMEOtVeeMfGNdKtkxHArAa2j-Wmd9nQu0oKzlxKh0fuP_WlQIeSYJCdLKUm3nrD5EGwfq5cb_KfV-feLSl0lxjbOTA_KKg6BSTXq4TrUZHhQpwycYYAlzrZSI5entez/s200/Insanity+Week+2+224lbs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Week 2 224 lbs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qFI60m1NDFIlYRxLHdSpkmKSGi48-HoWhrPR0t17S1fPO4oD_aWePZkMknk1JohXqBR5S8rUClS1c4MVrJZnM_1etzuBOXpX-DnKQ4ZfAi8APFimchLJqr8sgM6l1nJEC5mNttwhIxh_/s1600/Insanity+Week+3+220lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qFI60m1NDFIlYRxLHdSpkmKSGi48-HoWhrPR0t17S1fPO4oD_aWePZkMknk1JohXqBR5S8rUClS1c4MVrJZnM_1etzuBOXpX-DnKQ4ZfAi8APFimchLJqr8sgM6l1nJEC5mNttwhIxh_/s200/Insanity+Week+3+220lbs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Week 3 220 lbs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOY4LuQABccyJRGZEbCAB2xDULiTiAR5wN8HOkUWe6ZEIlQfpiXzEeK4uqlANKsQ9gyXNREqPeZp7bLAtgpQPOSlzL3j_d6oqJngdmyXIv9Hc-NOzPZFlyRcC9izxMUPOXDQNDRdFs5iGe/s1600/Insanity+Week+4+219lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOY4LuQABccyJRGZEbCAB2xDULiTiAR5wN8HOkUWe6ZEIlQfpiXzEeK4uqlANKsQ9gyXNREqPeZp7bLAtgpQPOSlzL3j_d6oqJngdmyXIv9Hc-NOzPZFlyRcC9izxMUPOXDQNDRdFs5iGe/s200/Insanity+Week+4+219lbs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Week 4 219 lbs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphen9CwqFynhGg8seQR5PgyyWAH5nFM0YwP2CTFMRPPGvw2bxW0_LGbFpQlIZYeu3HQrrG8Iz649Zafqu5APwyInh_AsGA7aQB0iC5H9RYwQqI7Xkc65_9T9sXFK3E_e8V95clCewKkFA7Q/s1600/Insanity+Week+5+220lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphen9CwqFynhGg8seQR5PgyyWAH5nFM0YwP2CTFMRPPGvw2bxW0_LGbFpQlIZYeu3HQrrG8Iz649Zafqu5APwyInh_AsGA7aQB0iC5H9RYwQqI7Xkc65_9T9sXFK3E_e8V95clCewKkFA7Q/s200/Insanity+Week+5+220lbs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Week 5 220 lbs (Visited Family for Spring Break)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrx_bO3un2Obh1wl_nIXp0Z8SCNnTatsxnJS9NvQIt8ILvhcHl3hvG2S_ifz5HUJSSakHVbH9ipMX4COhiOYQrzXBc30PdfWMwSNXldEQ4J9hAivbh6UrxQ9hy_z6ktuQzgtuoRzye2c3/s1600/Insanity+Week+6+217lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrx_bO3un2Obh1wl_nIXp0Z8SCNnTatsxnJS9NvQIt8ILvhcHl3hvG2S_ifz5HUJSSakHVbH9ipMX4COhiOYQrzXBc30PdfWMwSNXldEQ4J9hAivbh6UrxQ9hy_z6ktuQzgtuoRzye2c3/s200/Insanity+Week+6+217lbs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Week 6 217 lbs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfB9U8sSIzm7AHV9Q37YzIJdVHNWUD2ROqUgDsT9V8q13WuWPOCMl_dK0bdGe7eJd76y0Tw5h_e6hHjYdEF9DYbpD5NXxVb9IsWRYnwrDrj4C8gQIGFlaBi4cD31eAoET29NvU70GZUbY/s1600/Insanity+Week+7+215lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfB9U8sSIzm7AHV9Q37YzIJdVHNWUD2ROqUgDsT9V8q13WuWPOCMl_dK0bdGe7eJd76y0Tw5h_e6hHjYdEF9DYbpD5NXxVb9IsWRYnwrDrj4C8gQIGFlaBi4cD31eAoET29NvU70GZUbY/s200/Insanity+Week+7+215lbs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Week 7 215 lbs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJs_goGlfaRBC8GJRJq9x7uTzDmeNyoVOt1E7tY6bl5WKpyXslKv5GJ8_hg-orpFSKXVoLdyQsRSJ-W2g85hbNt69S1oCHWy7CI3BxpROm1UPoRodaf4zTSdcmlFV7joJPR8jDcC68B4Y/s1600/Insanity+Week+8+214lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJs_goGlfaRBC8GJRJq9x7uTzDmeNyoVOt1E7tY6bl5WKpyXslKv5GJ8_hg-orpFSKXVoLdyQsRSJ-W2g85hbNt69S1oCHWy7CI3BxpROm1UPoRodaf4zTSdcmlFV7joJPR8jDcC68B4Y/s200/Insanity+Week+8+214lbs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Week 8 214 lbs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbY8Qnd-YOTz6JzJICKdC1rEk8wcyRhyQ2yVH0tsuX-aKkxvDUH01s75GcyUmiKO2ZvfV4lbPXkjnM0tqImdVb2v6ZU-MAaLw0tzIguqtwhAnYB7rk6UKMySDnsR2_K0OvnuuMW3It6aK/s1600/Insanity+Week+9+213lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbY8Qnd-YOTz6JzJICKdC1rEk8wcyRhyQ2yVH0tsuX-aKkxvDUH01s75GcyUmiKO2ZvfV4lbPXkjnM0tqImdVb2v6ZU-MAaLw0tzIguqtwhAnYB7rk6UKMySDnsR2_K0OvnuuMW3It6aK/s200/Insanity+Week+9+213lbs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Week 9 213 lbs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLE8yYAHjEU3r6qCJL_MTQOHHGAp9GYMISS0tjZn-_DeYbTj1pLJ3rLx_D3bvrKu4JZYARKDVVfcGL6pkvjAS-79L5Q2eSiCIBgRf6HcFrt9MJ7mnH4ebl1tIrpbGmCa78gJHEKwqulGJR/s1600/Insanity+Week+10+210lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLE8yYAHjEU3r6qCJL_MTQOHHGAp9GYMISS0tjZn-_DeYbTj1pLJ3rLx_D3bvrKu4JZYARKDVVfcGL6pkvjAS-79L5Q2eSiCIBgRf6HcFrt9MJ7mnH4ebl1tIrpbGmCa78gJHEKwqulGJR/s200/Insanity+Week+10+210lbs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final Week 210 lbs</td></tr>
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As you can see, my progress is pretty good. My body has transformed into something more athletic. I'm blessed to be where I am. This will be the only time you'll ever see me topless outside of a pool or something. I am so happy. I feel so great. It's not over though. Now it's about staying with the healthy eating. It's about keeping active and in shape. It's about making a choice to make myself better. It's also about trusting God to help you through it. God says that our body is a temple. I means to treat it with respect. Keeping it healthy and living is a good thing. Being alive long enough to be able to play basketball with future grandkids is a big thing too. Overall, I'm just thankful for the opportunity. <br />
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Now I'm just hoping I win 500 bucks from the Beachbody Challenge.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-11877724233563851842013-04-04T10:26:00.003-04:002013-04-04T10:26:53.210-04:00Trying to Do This MoreIt's been a while since I posted a blog, and for that I'm sorry. There are a lot of things to talk about in my life, and around the world to be honest. I'll just hit them with bullet points. People love bullet points.<br />
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Speaking of bullets, this whole gun control thing is getting out of hand. Look, I truly believe that guns, WHEN IN THE WRONG HANDS, are dangerous items. However, it seems as if every time something bad happens with a gun, the first thing lawmakers want to do take them out of the well behaved people's hands. I truly believe that there should be SOME regulations on how people obtain guns. I think a background check is just fine. I think a mental evaluation of potential gun owners is quite alright. I think if a person wants to own a gun, they should go through every possible test to get a hold of the gun. I understand the right to bear arms. I'm all for it. However, there seems to be a rash of crimes and attacks that warrant a thorough evaluation of who gets a firearm. I think it's fair.<br />
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I've tried to avoid talking about the whole gay marriage thing. I go with God on this. God says that if He's the center of your life, you know what He says about things. My biggest issue is with those who are for traditional marriage. I believe that there are a lot of traditional marriages that aren't nearly as God honoring as they think they are. There are so many marriages that end because of infidelity, dishonesty, and just flat out boredom. I believe that before anyone pipes in about what God honoring marriage should look like, they should make sure that their marriage is worthy of being called God honoring. I truly believe that I should honor God with my life before telling others how to do the same. That's all I'm saying.<br />
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My Insanity is going tremendous. I was worried that my recent trip to South Carolina would ruin my progress. My mom feeds me well. We tend to get a lot of take out and stuff. I did a good job of not overeating. I'm proud of me for that. I kept up with my workouts. I even helped my sister and her boyfriend get started on their Insanity program. Right now, I'm at 11 pounds lost, and I feel great. They say this is "recovery week." We'll see. Everything ramps up with the "max" programs next week. I get a little nervous when I see "max" on anything.<br />
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I don't know if all have you have heard the story of the Rutgers coach who was recently fired. He was basically abusing his players. He was throwing balls at players, hitting them, kicking them, pushing them, and calling them vile names. He was just suspended in December for it. First of all, parents trust these men/women with their kids' lives. He broke that trust immensely. The people above the coach broke that trust as well. For this guy to flat out bully these kids because he knows they don't want to lose their scholarship. Let's face it, being on the Rutgers basketball team usually means you weren't highly recruited by basketball powers. So this is probably their only shot at playing Division 1 basketball. So they're not going to leave anytime soon, which basically means they're going to have to take this abuse with little fight back. I can tell you one thing, if any of my former players that I've coached or kids that I'll have in the future ever face this kind of abuse...yeah, bad things man, bad things.<br />
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This is Autism Awareness Month. I want everyone to try to find out one thing about Autism that you didn't know. I'm not saying you have to wave the banner for Autism or go on a crusade. I'm just saying check out the facts. See what it entails. Maybe check out an Autism program or something. Don't go out there with false bravado though. People can read that easily. And avoid prejudging.<br />
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Enjoy life people. Smile at the silly things. Fight for what you believe in. Love your family. Say hi to a stranger. Avoid negative people. Try to eat a little healthier. Get fresh air whenever possible. Count your blessings. Be a friend.<br />
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Till the next time, people.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-27569720880383899372013-03-11T22:30:00.001-04:002013-03-11T22:30:07.000-04:00Week Two of InsanityI've completed one week of Insanity, and I have to say that I'm feeling great. I am down five pounds, from 229 to 224. I feel more energized. I can see my body taking shape. I can see some definition in my body. It's really amazing. I am so blessed and happy with this.<br />
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As I think about these developments, I can't help but thank God for it. God has blessed me so much. He's instilled this drive in me to want to better myself. We hear that verse all the time about the body being a temple. It's true. We should care for our bodies as best we can. I'm not talking bubble wrapping ourselves, even though that would be completely awesome. I'm just saying not overindulging on things. I'm saying not hitting the McDonald's every other day and hitting chicken wings the other days. <br />
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I have to say it's been tough. Some of my favorite foods have been put on the back burner and replaced with great tasting, low calorie foods. Actually, some of the foods have a good amount of calories, but I burn them all in no time. The Insanity workout calls for eating a lot so that you have the calories to burn. <br />
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It's also forcing me to have some discipline in my waking up and exercising. I wake up every morning around 5:20 or so and work out. I worry sometimes that I wake up my roommates with the exercising, but my concern over my health is a lot more important than my concern over disturbing others. It was time that I started worrying about myself. Not in a selfish way, trust me, I've met some fairly selfish people. However, it's okay to want something for yourself. People have asked me why I'm losing weight, exercising, all of that because they think I look great. Truth be told, I want to do this. It's my body. I can do what I want.<br />
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Stay tuned next week for another update on my weight loss and experience with Insanity. If you need it, I'll let you borrow it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-47259267666875139152013-03-04T21:58:00.001-05:002013-03-04T21:58:13.860-05:00InsanitySo, I've decided that I need to get myself in better shape. I've started Insanity. Well, I started it this morning, so I'm not even a full day into it. I realized that I haven't been taking care of myself the way I ought to. I'm not sure how I'm going to end up, but I know I'm doing right by me.<div>
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Over the course of the next 60 days, I'll be tracking my progress on this here blog. I'll be sharing my weight and how I'm feeling each week. As of now, I'm weighing in at 229 pounds and got ridiculously winded during my fit test this morning. I've also decided to do better at eating food. Mostly avoiding fast food and terrible foods is the key. You can do it in moderation, but not buying fast food 6 days a week should be super helpful. I even made a really good chicken dinner tonight that took about twenty minutes. Chicken cooked in a mixture of lemon juice, ground pepper, minced garlic, and butter. Place the chicken on a bed of brown rice, arugula, and sliced Baby Bella mushrooms. I couldn't tell you how many calories that was, but I'm sure it was less than a number 3 with no onions at McDonald's. </div>
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I'm pretty happy about this development in my life. I'm sure that God has an awesome plan in all this. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-48163434382837687402013-02-27T22:05:00.000-05:002013-02-27T22:05:04.591-05:00Malignant Case of Wall to Wall MoronA couple of days ago, I encountered what I believe to be the worst case of ignorance ever. I can honestly say that I've never been more upset about anything in my life. <div>
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It started as I was heading home from work. I got to my neighborhood a little faster than normal. I don't know if it was my driving or just less traffic than normal, but thank God for it. As I was driving up my street, I see two very tiny figures walking across the street. I slow my car down and notice that these two figures are children. Not just children, but babies. They were no taller than my tires. I stopped the car and jumped out. Left the car running, mind you. I swept the kids to the side of the road and into a yard. The kids were a boy and a girl. The boy had a shirt, diaper, and socks. The girl had a shirt, pants, and no shoes. It's winter time, by the way. I asked them where they came from and if they knew where they lived. I was hoping they'd at least point to their house or somewhere familiar. Luckily another lady came out of her house and took one of the kids from my arms. I asked the people outside if they knew who these kids were and who they belonged to. No one had a clue. We walked to a house with just the screen door closed thinking maybe we were lucky. We knock, and a lady answers the door. She kind of huffs and says, "he's a door opener. Thank you."</div>
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I don't think the level of my aggravation could be measured. For a lady to just say matter-of-factly that the kid is a door opener, seriously? I'm pretty sure the lady was a babysitter more than a family member. I just can't understand how any person can lose track of two 1 year old children and still be in business as a babysitter. To not even panic when two babies are brought back to your home, I don't have words.</div>
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Seems like there is just stupidity being spread all over the world. It's saddening and maddening. Look, if you have stupidity running through you, get it fixed. That means that if you spell simple words wrong like "this" or "that" or "my", feel free to log off of the Internet and find a dictionary. If you care more about your hair than the safety of your children, feel free to give your kids to someone who cares. It frustrates me how stupidity just permeates our society. There's no care whatsoever anymore. </div>
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Oh, I did call CPS as soon as I got home . I gave them the address. Hopefully, this lady's business is ruined, and she learns a very valuable lesson how to keep babies secure. I know that sounds kind of cruel, but if you can't care enough to protect our children, you don't deserve to have children in your care.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-5761038547321721642013-02-05T22:43:00.001-05:002013-02-05T22:43:02.616-05:00The FutureToday was my birthday. It was a good birthday. Actually, I'll say it was great. It started with getting a Burger King crown. They aren't gold anymore. They have cartoon children on them. I swear one of those kids had hipster glasses. Anyway, I wore my crown almost all day at work. I felt like a king. I don't know why I like Burger King crowns; they're just fun I guess.<br />
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After that I went to one of my past basketball players junior varsity games. I saw 5 of my former players in varsity or junior varsity basketball. It was amazing to see. I have to say that I'm extremely proud of those girls. They have grown up to be great talents and even better people.<br />
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That's what I want to talk about. It seems like I've realized just how big of an impact I have on this planet. Not saying I'm something to be revered or worshiped, however I do believe that I have a responsibility to make this place better than when I got here. It's not just me, it's everyone. We have a responsibility to help our children be able to fend for themselves at some point in their lives. People always say it's the parents' job, and it is. However, I also believe that we as adults have a job to pick up where the parents can't. For every deadbeat parent, there are a slew of good parents out there that do a tremendous job raising their children. But, they still need our help. All of us have a responsibility to make sure that all the bases are covered. <br />
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We need to be an example to the kids out there. We have to show them how to do this. I often ask myself if I'm doing it right. However, after tonight, there is no doubt that the kids I saw will be alright in the future. We have a long way to go before I'm totally confident, but if we as people work together, we can make this planet a better place. <br />
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However, for now, I'm saying Happy Birthday to me. Again.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5537389419346973886.post-82321430036005031532013-01-31T20:51:00.002-05:002013-01-31T20:51:14.446-05:00I Thought I Got Rid of the CraziesAlright, obviously I've met some pretty nutty characters in my life. In fact, I'd venture to say that I've been around more crazies than the law should allow. It's pretty unhealthy to be around the crazies. Crazies can cause stress. Crazies can cause problems. Crazies can eat you out of house and home. Crazies can get you put in jail if they can convince the right person. It's really touch and go how you handle these crazies. I think I've become the authority on how to handle a crazy person. It took a little training. Some people don't get all the practice I've had, so they will never be an authority. So it's best to just follow my lead on this.<br />
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It started in preschool. There was this mean girl that rode my bus. Everyday, she'd scratch me and bully me on the bus. Me being the gentleman I was, decided to just ignore the behavior. Mom saw the scratches one day and asked what happened. I told her. Mom said fight back. So I did, and she never messed with me again.<br />
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Then there was that annoying whack job in 3rd grade. I handled her kind of quickly. I remembered mom's words about defending myself. I stuck her in a closet. It worked. She knew better.<br />
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There was daycare in 4th grade. Not my proudest moment, but if you'd have seen the nut job that messed with me that day, you'd understand. The girl was a 5th grader, was about 6 feet tall, 409 pounds, and meaner than a hippo with a hernia. She messed with me, so I hauled off and smacked her. Told her to leave me alone. However, she knew better than to mess with me anymore.<br />
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As I got older, I realized that throwing crazy people in the closet or whacking them wasn't the most sound strategy. Plus, you could go to jail. So I handled the crazies in more diplomatic ways. There was the catfish incident that I detailed in my last blog. I handled that like a Sherlock Homeboy. <br />
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I had a crazy set of roommates, mainly a mother and her son. They were of no help to me. They spent money on everything but important things, like electricity. I realized that the best way to rid myself of them was to pray like crazy. It worked.<br />
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I had a crazy ex-girlfriend. Possibly the craziest of them all. The things she did and accused me of were pretty nutty. I just laugh. It helps a lot. <br />
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I recently got a roommate who I thought was excited about the opportunity to live somewhere safe that wasn't a hotel. Come to find out, she's bat-poo bonkers. Talking to herself, not getting up to take care of basic physiological needs (read between the lines), and eating everyone's food with little to no reciprocity. Actually, there was no reciprocity. She made the biggest messes and called us filthy. Kind of whack, honestly. I evicted her, she's leaving tomorrow. She says she is. One of her personalities said she was leaving. The others, we'll see.<br />
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Crazy is something I've dealt with all my life. I don't want to make light of mental illness, but it seems like the ones I come across are kind of malicious. It's like their crazy isn't really crazy, just down right not nice. It's like they couldn't care less what they look like in the end, as long as they try to mess me up.<br />
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You're going to come across people that are wanting to put you down. People who want to bring you down into the abyss. You have to be strong. Be smart. Fight back. Don't allow people to be your downfall. God has a plan for you. You stick to that plan, the crazies can't beat you.<br />
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Next time a crazy tries to bring you down, give the battle to God. God has your back. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470127450775971335noreply@blogger.com0