Feelings

In a few hours I’ll began this unwelcome journey. I know that sounds selfish but I just want to be right now. Today, has been a day I will remember for the rest of my life but would love to forget. Family and friends where in and out but I felt as lonely as I’ve ever felt. I will soon lay down another night without sleep coming. Again, tonight I drove up to dad’s house and turn the porch light on because I just can’t stand driving by and not seeing the light on. I know that he’s in a better place. Nobody knows that better than me. All of my life I prayed that he would open his heart to Jesus Christ and fall in love with him. I took him in church and baptized him. I was an I witness of the truth of God’s word that says “if any man be in Christ he is a new creature…” but I still hurt, still sad and still cry.

I Love You Daddy

August 8, 1936 - September 25, 2009

Thank you for everything you taught me.

Thank you for cheering me.

Thank you for loving me.

Thank you for praying for me.

Thank you for helping me.

Thank you for showing me the way.

Thank you for allowing me to share Christ with you.

Thank you for the honor of baptizing you.

Thank you for the pleasure to be your pastor.

But most of all I thank God for being your son!

Just Do It

This past weekend I had the pleasure and the privilege of sharing the stage with Dr. Mary Ann Bauman. Dr. Bauman is the epitome of BIG things sometimes comes in small packages. She has a wonderful spirit, beautiful smile and an awesome gift!

After I spoke on Honor and Health and share the health concerns facing African American in this country. We’re dying at an alarming rate and those who aren’t dying are suffering horrible futures. Dr. Bauman took the stage and gave the most powerful presentation with care and concern. She is in the right profession. She loves people and was so profounded and practical at the same time. She will definitely be back.

Here’s who the good doctor is: Dr. Bauman received her medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan in 1978. For nine years, she served in a variety of teaching, practice, and administrative positions on medical school faculties including Wayne State University, the University of South Dakota, and the University of Oklahoma. In 1991, she joined Baptist Medical Center, which later became INTEGRIS Health Inc. as Medical Director of the Women’s Center and is now the Medical Director for Women’s Health and Community Relations. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and maintains an active primary care practice.

Dr. Bauman is featured daily on Oklahoma’s New9 call the daily dose. She also serves on the Editorial Board of Medical Economics magazine Dr. Bauman is the author of Fight Fatigue—Six Simple Steps to Maximize Your Energy.

Most of all she has a genuine concern for people. You could just feel her passion as you spoke. Our city is truly blessed to have her. Pray that we can join together to take this to the community in a way that will change the lives of the people.

I’m excited about approaching the 4th Quarter this upcoming weekend. In the 1st Quarter we looked at the spiritual “How to handle God’s divine playbook.” In the 2nd Quarter we looked at the emotional “Handling Life’s most horrible hits.” In the 3rd Quarter we looked at the physical “Just Do It.” This weekend will be the climax of our series called “Get In the Game.” Then we will move into our next brand new series I’m call “Get Rich Quick or Die Trying!”

The Most Creative Place In the Universe

I’m afforded many things as the Pastor of the Greater Bethel Church and I’m thankful for ALL of them. I realize that the membership has put their trust and confidence in me and I am very humbled by that. One of the things that the people that I’m proud and privileged to lead allow me to do is be creative. I’m serious! Even though I know that it frightens and scares (the you know what out of them) they give me the creative licensing to flow in whatever the Spirit leads. Sometime it’s very traditional, other times it’s very contemporary and then there are the time when it’s simply off the wall.

Here’s what I heard Ed Young of Fellowship Church Grapevine, TX http://www.fellowshipchurch.com/ say in a conference once, “change is a necessary catalyst for our growth, maturity and development. Although we experience changes almost daily, there is something that never changes. From eternity to eternity, God remains a constant. Simply put: God is.

But the same cannot and should not be said of the church. The methodology must change in order to meet the changing contour of the world around it. In short: Churches evolves.”

That’s why I believe that as leaders of the church, we must be willing to facilitate that evolution.

Earlier this year the enemy hit me at the very foundation of my ministry. My reaction sad to say, wasn’t as I would have had it. I withdrew and became very depressed, disappointed and hurt which in turned effected what God had deposited inside of me. After months of licking my wounds and asking God, “Why,” I realized what the enemy was after. I realized that what the enemy was after was the ministry and the creativity that God has trusted me with.

How did I get back to some level of normality? (Healing is a process…)

1. The Holy Spirit through one of Mentors taught me a passage of scripture Romans 12: 1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The help was in “to offer your body as a living sacrifice.” At that moment I had to ask myself was I actively doing that or was I fighting what God wanted to do in, through and for my life.

2. I had to stop asking “WHY!” I had several shouting fits with God about this question (WHY). I know that you’ve never done that but I couldn’t rationalize why God would lead me to do something and then walk away. I’ve never been so certain of a thing; I know that this is of God. So then why would the one who lead me then appear to have disappeared on me?

3. I had to start asking “TO WHAT END!” How did I get to the next question? God told me He owed me no explanations that He was God and I wasn’t. Second that Faith doesn't require that I understand it; it only requires that I STAND UPON IT (Hebrews 11).

4. I had to give myself back to the ministry that God has given me. Ultimately, the enemy wanted to destroy the ministry that God has entrusted me with. At first I became like “the man who had received the one talent came…. Who was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.”

5. I had to reevaluate and reexamine the people I allowed in my inter-circle [those who could speak into my life]. The people you allow in you life can make or break you, determine your success or failure. I realized that when things are going well the people in your life aren’t that important because the bad people are only riding never adding. It is in the most challenging times of your life when you discover who your real friends are and those who are really in your corner. Those who are really for you are REALLY FOR YOU! Here what that looks like they never change their option nor their support because they understand that circumstances doesn’t always have too look like where you’re going.

Hitting The Pause Button

Taking time for family and friend is very important. After a very long week it was time for a break. Hanging out with our friends Pastor Vance and Bev Roland. They've been our friends for a long time. We've attended the E K Bailey Expository Preaching Conference together for the last few years together. Good friends are a blessing. I've had the privileged to preach their anniversary for the last six year and have seen God breathe on their ministry both numerical, physically and spiritually.

I'm excited about the sermon tomorrow...part 3 of Get In The Game!

This Trip is a TRIP

What happens when your trip has been a TRIP? Trouble, trails and temptation doesn't care whether you are home or away. We some time think that a change of location will make a difference. Sunday I couldn't wait to get away but monday I realized that no matter how far I was away that disappointment, discouragement and depression is no respector of distance.

Here's are some random thought on what hounds my every hour and weights heavy on my heart...

Why does it seem like love isn't enough?

Why isn't true friendship the order of the day?

Why can't people JUST be honest?

Why isn't hard work appreciated any more?

Why are people so unforgiven?

Why did it take 70 days for Michael Jackson and they still will not let him rest?

Why did Michael Vick (No. 7) have to spent 2year in prison to be released to enter but another prison...the unending negative voices of the media and public?

Why would someone walk into a church to brutally kill a pastor who has given her life to building the kingdom the God and help make the word a better place.

Casting Our Vote

After nearly two hours I have just cast one of three votes that the Greater Bethel Baptist Church was eligible to cast in this 129th session of the National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. (NBC)

This particular year there has been great debate over the office of the president in the NBC. The race began with four Pastors asking the delegates to cast their votes in their favor (Past President Henry Lyons, Vice President at-large Julius Scruggs, Congress President Holmes and Dr. Stephen Nash). By January because of a small but huge oversight on President Holmes campaign team he was disqualify from the race. Later I'm not sure when but Dr. Nash drop out of the race. Leaving Julius Scruggs and Henry Lyons, as the race heated up at our National Congress as pastors, churches and delegates began the great debate. What debate you ask? Very interesting story if you are not aware former president Henry Lyons served as president of NBC but was convicted and sentence 2 sever several year in federal prison. The great debate is whether or not he should have the chance to become president or not. There are those who believe in total forgiveness with no strings attached. While others believe in forgiveness but not forget-NESS. One group says the church must forgive, while the other group says we forgive BUT we don't have to forget what you did. It has been intriguing to listen to the conversation and at time heated conversation.

I have just cast my vote for Dr. Julius R. Scruggs to be our next president.

Official Voters Card

this is the official delegate voter's ticket to cast my vote for the 129th National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.

It A Rough Job

I have been in line over an hour and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. This young lady couldn't take any more. There has been people who traveled from all over the country many getting here today. By bus,car, plane and train. Worn and weary but come to do our baptist duty.

National Baptist Convention

Today I cast my vote for our National Baptist Convention President. The lines are long as you can see from picture. My back is killing me. This meeting has been full of a lot of standing and sitting. After pulling bags to, from and through the airport monday. I decided to go straight to registration to beat the crowd. I stood in three long lines 1st to fill out registration form then to pay registration, then to pay registration and then to pick up packages. Day two standing in line to pick up voters cards. Now, I'm standing to cast my vote. Not complaining just in pain in hopes that writing this will keep my mind off the pain shoting down my back to my legs. Guess you see how that's workin out. I will only follow this up with sitting for hours to hear our current president Dr William J Shaw give his annual address.

I final thought I hate rude people how are suppose to be serving. Why would you work in the service industry and not be willing to do your job with the right atitude.

Then when is it ever right to bump into a person and not acknowlege that you did it?

HELL ITS JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS

Life is a mixture, combination, blend, and mishmash of times when life couldn’t get any better and of times when life couldn’t get any worst. Life is certainly series of ups as well as downs, you can be up in the morning and down by noon day. Life is just like that, one never knows what may be just beyond the next bend. The winds of life will change rather abruptly and without warning.

One moment the sun is shining, and the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming and the gentle breezes blowing in the morning but in a moment in a twinkling of an eye…all hell can break out…dark clouds roll in, harsh rains begin to fall, devastating winds begin to blow and lighting begin to flash.

There is an old Arab parable that says: “All sunshine and no rain makes a desert." In other words if you never have any down times, dark times, gloomy times in your life you'll be dried up. You'll have no depth to yourself, no maturity and no wisdom. I KNOW...It takes both the good times and bad times, the thrill of victory and the agnoy of defeat, success and failure, mountian top and valleys to make a mature person.

BUT THERE ARE SOMEDAYS WHEN I'M NOT FEELING IT...