When the storms of life rage on in my heart, mind, body and Spirit, the FACT is, I am always drawn to drop anchor at Home Port. In my case, that would be taking shelter at Port Reggae Music. In my deepest, darkest and most secret moments of life it is the rhythm of my own heart reflected back to me in the drums and strings of Reggae riddimz that engage and transform my mind, emotions and Spirit and force me to give thanks to God, irrespective of adversity, irrespective of sorrow, irrespective of pain, and irrespective of my feelings about it all. JAH know!
When I embarked on the journey towards intimate relationship with God, over a dozen years ago, and began studying God's Word and Law in the Bible, I frequently came across Scripture that referenced the phrase "sacrifice of praise" or "sacrifice of thanksgiving" (eg. Hebrews 13:15; Jeremiah 33:11; Psalm 116:17). As a word-aholic the phrase puzzled me. Sacrifice. Praise. Eh??? Why would it ever require a sense that you were forfeiting something in order to give God thanks for His abundant provision and grace in saving you, caring for you and not sending your trifling half-in-half-out-sanctified-on-Sunday-shacking up-with-the-devil-Monday-to-Saturday-self, straight to Hell, just based on your lustful thoughts alone about that fiiiiiine, coffee-chocolate-dreadlocked, stallion of a man, who just greeted you into his gynaecological office (ooooh wait! that's my fantasy...cough, ahem! THANK-YOU God for your mercies that are new every day!)...um, as I proceed... O_O
Weeeeeeeeelp! it took me a minute or, rather 6.5 million minutes, give or take a few ;-) but the last year or so, I'm definitely digging this obtuse oxymoron; coz lemme tell allyou people! It sure feel like it neva rain but it pour around here, eh bwoy! Multiple family/friend deaths, serious sickness, major personal and family/friend financial woes, not so-peaceful home-front, and well, you get my drift...it ain't been a "nice" year...well, frankly, yearSSS, lately. Sooooo, my smile got me through for a while. My more recent sense of life purpose and the launching of myself into what I discovered was a passion and gift, now officially known as LIVINSOUL® Entertainment, kept me highly distracted for a wee while longer...but like all dung piles, at some point it ah go get big enough to stink up dee whole place, u zee mi?
Why I persist in needing my backside to hit rock bottom before I look up and see where I am, I dunno. I'm not about to dissect my psychosis again for y'all on this one. But, anywhooo, whatever it be...suffice to say, I have reached the end of my patience and tolerance with the emotional stresses in my life, and yep, me - lil ole me, who love Jesus to pieces, ain't been feeling too schmoozy with Him lately. Quite frankly, I've been like, "what da hay???" with God (well, ok, I confess the h-word was more kinda upside-downish, sidewaysish, kinda f-wordish, for which God is already all over me, so save it, any of you overly-righteous readers!)...Now all the while I'm dropping bombs on God, loosing my already short-fused temper upon those dearest to me - and anyone in firing range, I've been praying, like a good Christian, to be blessed, so I can be a blessing to others. Yeah, I know, y'all can slap me with the o_O on that one, but in the immortal words of the Great Prophet, Corey Red, "you in da glass house - chill Yo! I got skeletons in my closet, but you got dildo!" (ok, ok, OK! sheesh, I confess! I used to have one of those too! Dang! Well, I'm sure mine was small...er, wait, never mind...cough, cough, COUGH!)
Now back to da rhyme...do you remember what we are talking about? Or did that vibrating implement shake your brains a lil? Snap out of it!...we talking "Sacrifice of Praise"...remembernow? Ok...well, I said all that stuff (and some) to demonstrate that because of one too many unpleasant frictional moments in life, and because I put trust in my works for God to keep me strengthened through the storms of life, rather than work on my intimacy with God, through prayer, praise and study of His Word to buffer my ship in the storm, I was not feeling any praise coming on in my Spirit for my God who has time and time again demonstrated that He will NEVER forsake me. Somehow I allow my focus to go to the choppy waves, thunder and lightning of my life, rather than the power of God to walk on the water and command the storm be still. And to be honest, I've been quite selfish in wanting 'my way or the highway'. I figured, since I went through some 'stuff' in my past, God kinda owed me some extra protection and 'treats', or something, to make up for the hardships. And frankly, I just plain wanted my way in some of my circumstances, so submitting to God, my husband, or anyone, for that matter, was feeling 'a bit much' considering 'all I have to deal with'. Anywhoooo I've been pouting like a child, demanding God "do something", forgetting His grace in not allowing worse things to happen. And instead of sacrificing my incessant need to wallow in how I feel about my circumstances long enough to lift my hands and praise Him that I have those hands to raise, I'm whining, cussing, pleading, and getting downright angry about stuff that ain't about to change anytime soon! Seriously, at this point, I wanna slap myself, so I stand in awe at God's love in not whooping my behind for my sucky attitude, coz in earth life, my children get the palm treatment for this level of ingratitude and defiance that I have been flagrantly toting around.
The FACT is, the fall of man in the Garden of Eden invited chaos and sin into the world. The FACT is, God 'makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust,' (Matthew 5:45), so life on earth will inevitably have it's not-so-sunny moments, whether you love God or deny His power. Add to that our humanity, failings, and sometimes dumb or misplaced decisions and life choices, and the probability of the proverbial poo-poo hitting the fan grows stinkingly higher. That said, the world and life being what it is can make absolutely no statement in denial of the power of God. In FACT it is God's grace and mercy and great love for His creation that brought about the hope we have to overcome the world through Christ.
So blessings pon meh Reggae people dem, coz Hip-Hop is my breath, but Reggae is my heart...and that heart needed a kick up the booty...for as dee Street's Disciple, St. Matthew ah remind me:
"The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34:19
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be
no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any
more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4
CAN I GET AN AMEN, HALLELUJAH, PRAISE YOU GOD up inna dee house??? lol lol lol! God is AWESOME, ya heard???
*** Music courtesy of St. Matthew. Follow his music here:
Facebook Music Pages: http://www.facebook.com/readyback
http://www.facebook.com/stmatthew
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NEW ST. MATTHEW ALBUM OUT NOW! "The Eleventh Hour" -- http://www.gospelreggae.com/browse/albums/78da33b2340100013f00a0/St.+Matthew/The+Eleventh+Hour.html
Sexual abuse, incest and pedophilia is an unspoken rite de passage of countless unnamed girls - AND boys. And our world is yet to fully accept the FACT of it. We sit at our TV screens amazed and dismayed at the Penn State University former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, who, it has recently come to the surface, has spent 15 or so years grooming and sodomizing boys, whom he was in charge of coaching. I tuned into the news at the beginning of the dramatic media spotlight, listening to much focus on the 'unfair' firing of Penn State's institutional icon, Coach Joe Paterno, because he apparently knew about concerns that Sandusky was abusing boys. This most latest media revelation of the scum that exists on this planet focused so much on Paterno's 'plight' that it cast great shadows against spotlighting the true victims - the boys, now men, who have been molested and sodomized by Sandusky. A couple nights ago I happened to be in the same room as the TV, and forced myself to listen to an update of this news-'story' for a few minutes. While the focus has somewhat shifted from Coach Paterno, to the male victims of Sandusky's perverse sins, the media continues to highlight, more so, the societal shock of the reality of this tragedy, than the actual events and circumstances that allowed this evil to occur. Sure, the media and anyone commentating wants to lay the blame on staff at Penn State. And thus far, it seems legitimate to hold a few of them accountable to what appears to be their lack of concerted effort to bring Sandusky's activities with boys into question. But at the risk of being burnt at the stake for heresy let me present these tidbit FACTS:
Mothers and Fathers often do not believe the daughters and sons brave enough to speak up about abuse or, at the very least, try, in whatever way, to communicate to the parent their sense of danger and concern about an individual whom they are uncomfortable with. Thus, parents continue to leave their children in unsafe environments among those who will harm them for the sake of the convenience of a babysitter to take their child off their hands after a long day's work. And I hear all of y'all gasping for breath and I'm sure your eyes are bugged out in disbelief at what I just stated, but BREATHE for a minute and hear me out...
I am not laying the 'blame' on anyone. In this evil world stuff happens, and some of it is waaaayyyy out of our capacity and cognitive ability to control. What I am attempting to present here are some FACTS about life that allow Sandusky's type of sin to be far too commonplace a milestone in many childhoods. Our society, and I speak with a 'westernized' world in mind, is rife with accepted modes of thinking and doing that perpetuate the ability of sexually perverse people to prey on children. We often dismiss the older man who 'like ah ripe fing' (a pubescent girl or young woman), as 'just a dirty ole man', when many times that dirty ole man is getting down and dirty with our children. We dismiss the pregnancies that occur among girls whose contact with
males was limited to her own family members, because, well, teen pregnancy is on the rise with this wild generation, isn't it? Does it occur to us that some of these male family members who were openly hell
bent on making sure 'no man gwan touch what is mines' are the ones who touch and
rape their own daughters, nieces, and cousins with a sense that their child's sexuality belongs to them? We dismiss the genital infections, sores and rashes that occur in
children not even old enough to know the word sex, much less perform it, because it could not possibly be that anyone is penetrating, sexually rubbing, fingering or performing oral sex on our little people, could they? We assume that same ignorance when sexually transmitted diseases and infections are found in teenagers, whom we tend to presume are simply 'doing what teenagers do', and having unprotected sex, willingly and willfully with the boy/girl next door (never mind the FACT that they should not be having sex at all, in accordance with the divine and supremely wise command of God).
We dismiss the fear and hesitation we see in children's eyes when their daddy or uncle, or some trusted male,
wants to take them on outings, by himself because we could do with a break from all their noise, and they're just being defiant in not wanting to go, aren't they? We dismiss
the teenagers who invite boys/girls over when mammy and daddy not home,
to repeat the abuse inflicted upon them by fathers, brothers, uncles,
family friends and strangers, because, well, 'they're just being rebellious teenagers', right? All the while ignoring the possibility that, as a reaction to their powerlessness at the hand of a perpetrator, inviting sex is the only way these teenagers
can maintain power over their own sexuality. We dismiss our 'quiet'
children who can't seem to function socially in the presence of adults, as 'shy', and
those who throw fits, or are defiant in the presence of adults they have come to know as
abusive, as "too malkawayson" (troublesome, unmannerly). It does not seem to occur to us that our children may either be spiritually in tune with the evil in a person, or may have experienced something with that person that causes them to be cautious. Instead we are upset, and bothered when others become offended, that our children grimace or shun physical contact with relatives, friends and 'friendly strangers' who 'just want to hug or kiss and greet' our children. We do not pay attention to these subtle cues from our children because we are caught up in the hustle bustle of our own adult lives and needs. And over time, amidst the hustle bustle, we demonstrate to our children, through our deliberate or inadvertent neglect to communicate and be engaged in their lives, that they will not be heard, not be understood, not be accepted. So our children keep the secrets of perverted men and women who groom them for sexually perverted acts, and will even allow those same evil people to touch them, because we have neglected to touch them in an emotionally whole way that says to them that they are the center and joy of our world, instead of the inconvenient, noisy, boisterous balls of energy that we just have to sign up for activities and shuffle off to coaches and daycare workers, and car pools with any available relatives and friends, and even 'safe' strangers, who live in our neighborhoods, have children at our children's schools/activity clubs because, well, we gotta hustle and make that dough, or we gotta just be away from the whining and tantrums of, and the arguments with the children we created.
We dismiss our children, because in our world "children should be seen and not heard", and us adults must have our 'time away to ourselves' from the stress and noise of managing bouncing, loud, unruly children. It is a FACT that it takes a village to raise a child...but when was the last time you surprised the coach by showing up for practice to watch and assist your children in the activity you normally just drop them off for, or have the daycare after-school bus take them to? Have you shown up unexpectedly early to pick up your son or daughter
from the person you left them with or do you maintain predictable times
that a pervert learns to take advantage off? When did you last sift through your teenager's bedroom and read through their papers and books, their hard drive on their laptop/PC, their phone text messages and contact numbers? Have you ever examined your children's underwear for blood, semen stains, excessive genital discharge? Have you talked to them frankly and plainly about alerting you about what goes on behind the closed doors of the classroom, sports court, movie theater, and your own house? When did you last talk calmly and lovingly to your 3, 7, 10 year old who keeps driving you crazy with their whining and tantrums and defiance? Because you do recognize that a bridge of communication built early in life is one of the greatest offenses against perverts who will groom a child to keep secrets from you, don't you? When was the last time you spoke
openly to encourage and maintain communication with your children, the
children in your family, in your community? We are their guardians and their best offense (and defense) against the sin that plagues the world and tries to snatch their purpose and their destiny, by robbing them of their innocence. When was the last time you prayed that God reveals to you any matter in your children's lives that will require your oversight, guidance and protection? And when was the last time you heeded that voice within you?
We may not be able to protect every child. The pedophile is cunning. "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14). He or she will begin his/her grooming of YOU, if necessary. And by that I mean, a pedophile will do whatever it takes to gain the trust of the adult guardian of a child, so as to gain liberty of access to the child he/she wants to use to satisfy their perverted sexual fantasies. In the reality of the bustle of this world, and more than often the need for both parents to work, or a single parent to work, and even work two jobs, time with our children is precious and limited and we must rely on other people, like teachers, coaches, pastors, priests, neighbors, friends and family to help us manage our schedules and our children. Pedophiles know that. They are often finding jobs or filling roles in life that will allow them to become part of the village that raises your child. But rather than blame these sick and evil people who prey on our children and their innocence and insecurities, let's man up our fort and do what it takes to keep creating an offense against keeping secrets from parents, against, our children feeling the need to be loved, desired, wanted, and accepted by others outside of ourselves, by being as involved as we possibly can with our children's lives, by loving them for the gift that they are, by establishing open communication, by educating our children against the ways of a pedophile, and ways to protect themselves, by speaking with us about all aspects of their lives, from the trivial to the deep, and by keeping our doors of communication free of fear of rebuke and lack of acceptance. None of this is easy. None of this is simple. But none of this is achieved by accepting the inevitability of being an imperfect parent. We cannot do it all, but we can do far more than our flesh is willing to put effort towards. Parenting is a selfless act. It requires much submission of our lives for the betterment of another. There are going to be days that seem straight out of hell. It is a FACT that children can indeed test the patient of a saint, as I frequently heard my mother say growing up. But they did not ask to be here. We did whatever we did behind closed doors - well, except some of you freaky people :), and now they are here, in our custody and stewardship.
Perhaps it is my annal tendency to look for the loci of control within myself that has me see this latest tragic revelation of abuse by Sandusky with the perspective I chose to discuss. But truly, blaming and pointing fingers at the sick evil people of the world is too easy. If we do not look to ourselves and create a solid play of offense, the entire game of our children's lives will be lost to the barraging defense that Satan has launched against the world and our children. The original sin of man was our first surrender of offensive strategy against evil. The Devil has a great defensive line up, and his players will run through any hole you leave open. Stay alert and in the game!................."Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore
put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you
may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to
stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And
pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all
the saints." (Ephesians 6: 10-18)
1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age of 18.
1 in 6 boys is sexually abused before the age of 18.
1 in 5 children are solicited sexually while on the internet.
Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults (including assaults on adults) occur to children ages 17 and under.
An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today.
84 percent of prison inmates were abused as children.
30-40% of victims are abused by a family member.
Another 50% are abused by someone outside of the family whom they know and trust.
Approximately 40% are abused by older or larger children whom they know.
More than 20% of children are sexually abused before the age of 8.
Nearly 50% of all victims of forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and forcible fondling are children under 12.
Most children don’t tell even if they have been asked
Evidence that a child has been sexually abused is not always
obvious, and many children do not report that they have been abused.
Over 30% of victims never disclose the experience to ANYONE.
Young victims may not recognize their victimization as sexual abuse.
Almost 80% initially deny abuse or are tentative in disclosing. Of
those who do disclose, approximately 75% disclose accidentally.
Additionally, of those who do disclose, more than 20% eventually recant
even though the abuse occurred.
Fabricated sexual abuse reports constitute only 1% to 4% of all
reported cases. Of these reports, 75% are falsely reported by adults and
25% are reported by children. Children only fabricate ½% of the time.
Consequences of child sexual abuse begin affecting children and
families immediately. They also affect society in innumerable and
negative ways. These effects can continue throughout the life of the
survivor so the impact on society for just one survivor continues over
multiple decades. Try to imagine the impact of 39 million survivors.
The way a victim’s family responds to abuse plays an important role in how the incident affects the victim.
Sexually abused children who keep it a secret or who “tell” and are
not believed are at greater risk than the general population for
psychological, emotional, social, and physical problems often lasting
into adulthood.
Children who have been victims of sexual abuse are more likely to experience physical health problems (e.g., headaches).
Victims of child sexual abuse report more symptoms of PTSD, more sadness, and more school problems than non-victims.
Victims of child sexual abuse are more likely to experience major depressive disorder as adults.
Young girls who are sexually abused are more likely to develop eating disorders as adolescents.
Adolescent victims of violent crime have difficulty in the
transition to adulthood, are more likely to suffer financial failure and
physical injury, and are at risk to fail in other areas due to problem
behaviors and outcomes of the victimization.
Victims of child sexual abuse report more substance abuse problems.
70-80% of sexual abuse survivors report excessive drug and alcohol use.
Young girls who are sexually abused are 3 times more likely to
develop psychiatric disorders or alcohol and drug abuse in adulthood,
than girls who are not sexually abused.
Among male survivors, more than 70% seek psychological treatment for
issues such as substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and attempted
suicide. Males who have been sexually abused are more likely to
violently victimize others.
Children who have been victims of sexual abuse exhibit long-term and
more frequent behavioral problems, particularly inappropriate sexual
behaviors.
Women who report childhood rape are 3 times more likely to become pregnant before age 18.
An estimated 60% of teen first pregnancies are preceded by
experiences of molestation, rape, or attempted rape. The average age of
their offenders is 27 years.
Victims of child sexual abuse are more likely to be sexually promiscuous.
More than 75% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused.
Adolescents who suffer violent victimization are at risk for being
victims or perpetrators of felony assault, domestic violence, and
property offense as adults.
Nearly 50% of women in prison state that they were abused as children.
Over 75% of serial rapists report they were sexually abused as youngsters.
Most perpetrators don’t molest only one child if they are not reported and stopped.
Nearly 70% of child sex offenders have between 1 and 9 victims; at least 20% have 10 to 40 victims.
An average serial child molester may have as many as 400 victims in his lifetime.
I can guarantee you, like just about most folks out there, my thought life alone can get me a one-way ticket straight to hell, never mind my actions! Praise God for His grace, that saves me from condemnation, but still puts me under conviction towards repentance (both confession of AND change of my badness ways)........and I preface with this comment so all of y'all who wanna give me that "you not perfect either, let he who is without sin cast the first stone" and all that misquoted jazz can get off at the exit right here...coz whatever my sin, I'm not about to not say anything about the jacked up jive that's going on in the world and in people just because I'm subject to the same or similar failings....WHATEVER! ....this here photo is nothing but one of the MANY promotions of the goodness of homosexuality aimed at the African-American/African diaspora communities..............and I'm sick of it!!!
Word to Babylon! -- if allyou happy to burn in dee lust of your perversion, fine....but stop trynah drag dee rest of us with you! #BOOM
"Now you can try to say this message ain't politically correct, but He came to bring his Sword, so what else did you expect? For the homosexual who is asking, 'why am I like this?' I hope they feel my words, coz I cry when I write this. See, I was never Gay, but I was blind like you, lacking affection, trapped in deception, with a filfthy mind like you. So Father have mercy coz what lives within us is like handling broken ratchets, trynah get em to bust. But I got power in da name of Jesus given to us. There's freedom in His presence if you still addicted to lust......no fornicator or adulterer, or sexual deviant will ever get into Heaven if they live disobedient. Believe me, I know it's hard, so we need a new heart. No wicked man will ever inherit the Kingdom of God. So tell me how could you neglect, or possibly think you'd escape, if you reject the truth, then there's no room for your mistakes. Don't let the devil trap you in da belly of the beast, coz hell is worse than prison, 'cept you never get released...so to get to Heaven, as I follow HIM, follow me..." -- "The Facts I Expose", Lavoisier, The Rap Terrorist
FACT:
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. -- Romans 1:18-32
Soooooo, anyone notice lately the FACT that there are increasing numbers of cases in the courts and media regarding freedom of speech? This is one such item of news that peeked my interest: Court Lets City Restrict Church Use of Schools.(Benjamin Weiser, NY Times, June 2, 2011). A legal battle that has been going on somewhat quietly since 1995 in New York, to challenge the freedom of speech of one church is spilling over towards a ban of all churches from using public schools as their venue for worship services.
Here's a brief excerpt...click on the above link to read the full article...it's an interesting must-read:
"Deciding 2 to 1, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said the city had “a strong basis to believe” that allowing the religious services to be conducted in schools could be seen as the kind of endorsement of religion that violated the First Amendment’s establishment clause.
“When worship services are performed in a place,” Judge Pierre N. Leval wrote for the majority, “the nature of the site changes. The site is no longer simply a room in a school being used temporarily for some activity.”
“The place has, at least for a time, become the church,” he wrote, adding that the city’s policy imposed “no restraint on the free expression of any point of view.” Rather, it applied only to “a certain type of activity — the conduct of worship services — and not to the free expression of religious views associated with it.”
Judge John M. Walker Jr. dissented, saying the ban on religious worship services violated the First Amendment’s free speech clause...Judge Leval wrote that “the fact that New York City’s school facilities are more available on Sundays than any other day of the week means that there is a de facto bias in favor of Christian groups who want to use the schools for worship services."...The Bronx church and others using the city’s schools, he wrote, “tend to dominate the schools on the day they use them.”
“They use the largest rooms and are typically the only outside group using a school on Sunday,” he wrote."
HMMMMMMMMMM.........."Then they took your freedom of speech, your freedom to preach, your freedom to think. What's next? Your freedom to blink?...Silent weapons, QUIET WARS, World War 3, earthquakes, riots, wars. you can't see THE HANDWRITING IS ON THE WALL. And what does it read? Babylon is gonna fall, is gonna fall!.." ( Corey Red )
Matthew 24:9-14 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
If you have followed me long enough on this blog, or my Twitter, my Facebook page, the Facebook pages I help manage: livinsoul Entertainment TM, Mommies On The Mic TM, Livinsoul International Ministries TM, The Day Jesus Spoke Hip-Hop TM, or the Twitter accounts I help manage @livinsoul_ENT, @MommiesOnTheMic, @livinsoul_MIN, @JesusSpoke ... besides knowing how ridiculously busy I am for a mother of 5 (yup 5!) darling children...you most definitely know that I am a huge supporter of Christian-based Music especially, Hip-Hop and Reggae. Sooooo, I go loco on the promo for Christ Music - from tweets, video posts, blogs and Twibbon, to behind the scenes promotion of music-ministry, Artist Fan Page management and da beat goes on an on. So why exactly do I take the time to prop up these Rappers and Reggae MCs for FREE (mostly)?
Since I entered into the Christian Music, and particularly the Christian Hip-Hop community, as a chatty supporter and opinionated tweeter (LOL), over the last 18 months or so, I have had a fair bit of o_O from folks who seem to think I'm just some groupie chick trying to, I'll just say politely, 'talk' to Rappers (including, I'm sure, a few Rappers thinking this, themselves)...fair, enough, I can say from an outsider eye perspective, I might raise a brow if a 'strange' chick comes out of left field and seems to talk to Rappers and industry males 'just a lil too much,' without a husband in sight...but er, um...Hey World! This announcement may be long-overdue for those raised eye-brow folks, but I found it totally unnecessary for myself, really, to justify my interactions as I support, cheerlead and encourage a genre of music that was tantamount in leading me to Christ.
However, it would seem that folks are just gonna be, well, shall I say, 'feline' in their curiosity...and trully, I have other things to focus on...so FOR THE RECORD, I am, in FACT, not some groupie chick who gets off on being known, applauded or accepted by Rappers and MCs (infact my support and promo is largely ignored by them, so it's not like I get pats on the back for energies and time spent)...and I mos def ain't trynah get laid! #BOING! (insatiable husband at home...HELLO! lol!)...What and who I am is a genuine lover of Christ Music, and a woman passionate about supporting those who create it, and use it to spread the Gospel of Christ. As I have told a few people, and some inquisitive enough to ask...I began interactions with Rappers and MCs after I linked in to a favorite Artist's facebook page in my very early freshman days on facebook. From that Rapper's personal account, I was surprised to hear just how much resistance and disunity the Christian Hip-Hop world faces. I had heard some rap and reggae songs, previously, that spoke of some of the difficulties of these two types of music being accepted in Churches, but to hear it personally sparked a fire in me to publicly support and cheerlead those, whose music had impacted my life in real and intangible ways. Needless to say, the more Rappers and MCs I added as "friends" or "followed," the more I got involved in this community....and here I am...supporting favorite Artists, and many more new & old school Rappers and MCs, Singers, Poets, Musicians, Producers and da beat goes on and on and on! LOL!
Having spent a great deal of the last year of my life publicly supporting and encouraging those in music-ministry, particularly Hip-Hop and Reggae, which continue to be erroneously shunned by the majority as ungodly or, at the least, "inappropriate" for spreading the message of the Gospel, I have had the honor of interacting with many of my favorite Rappers & MCs, as well as Singers, Poets, Ministers, Producers/Beatmakers, Label & Media Company-Owners, Journalists, Dee-Jays and the like, along with some equally enthusiastic supporters, naysayers, and the whole caboodle that make up this nouveau-Christ Church. It has been a fun ride, I have to say. But I do this for more than fun. I talk to Rappers and MCs etc. because they too, need the encouragement, the upliftment of spirit and the good old fashioned 'well done' pat on the back that us, 'consumers' take for granted when we play the music that ministers to us. Not only have I received some feedback that my own support is meaningful and encouraging, God has truly used this time in my life to break me, mould me and shape me for the greater Vision of support He has had planned all along.
Inevitably, in the midst of supporting the Artists/industry folk behind the music that continues to positively impact my spiritual and emotional life, I have found my joie de vie...the je nais se quoi I have been missing in my journey of life, to find purpose and meaning through who I have been created to be, and what I have wished to offer the world since I was 6 years old (but that is another blog-story)...suffice to say, God has allowed this time in my life of serving others, to become the catalyst for me embracing something I have fought for some time. My Husband has been called to ministry since he was a teen. He has had his own personal struggles and intervening circumstances preventing him from coming to the place of putting his foot in that pool. But along the way, though I saw myself being in the background administratively, I had not actually married the Vision of Livinsoul International Ministries TM, which my husband has been called to, and I was grateful for all the delays in becoming a "Pastor's Wife".
Well, getting in bed with all these Rappers and MCs got my juices going to desire to conjugate my passion at 6 years old to "build the world a home, and furnish it with love", along with my role as a Wife and Partner in incubating and helping to birth and nurture my Husband's seed - the Vision of Livinsoul International Ministries TM. By serving others, I discovered the purpose God has for me. I have had opportunity to see my gifts for what they are; to learn my limitations, and to embrace the destiny God has had planned for me...so yeah! I'm a chick who talks to Rappers & MCs...and yet, soooo much more...as one of my favorite Rappers, Corey Red says: "I was asleep, but the Giant has awakened!"...Mami, got VISION - in 3-D! Watch this space....and see where God directs this script... ;-)
If you do not yet understand the purpose God has for YOU in life, pray, commit yourself to service to others and allow God the opportunity to show you your gifts, your abilities, your purpose, and yes! your limitations. When you do you will truly be able to serve!
Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations. -- Jeremiah 1:5
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. -- Jeremiah 29:11
I was reading this blog The RAS Report: Opt Out about a student form I was totally insulted to receive from my children's school last year, and it seems I was not the only one with raised eyebrows. This short blog outlined precisely my concerns when my children's elementary school sent home a form offering students to opt out of listening to President Barack Obama'sBack to School Address to Students across the Nation at the beginning of the school year. The FACT is that this type of Address to students is no new occurrence in the Presidency of the United States of America, yet, following the popular voting-in of the Nation's first African-American President, here I was for the first time in my, then, 11 years of parenthood, and 3 separate Presidencies in my residency in the U.S.A, being offered the 'opportunity' to opt-out my students from hearing what the Leader of our Nation wished to say to them to encourage and inspire them, as many other Presidents have done before him.
I like the author of the quoted blog, Delbert 'Ras' Harris', angle of focus on this incident...but the FACT is, while I certainly considered his wider focus in my initial reaction to the opt-out form, I was more focused and angered by the blatantly racist stunt that got pulled off as student and parent 'options'. A handful of things totally peeve me in life - and one of them is the attempt to disguise racist and political motives as politically correct and 'inclusive'. As one of my favorite Rappers and Bloggers says...GROW THE HECK UP!!!
Culturally Conservative
SPIN
Back over 500 hundred years to a DARK Continent
Made RED with BLOOD
Wet with TEARS from MEN
Who couldn’t protect their WOMEN and CHILDREN
From the onslaught of the Culturally Conservative
Self-imposed Massa Who kept their BROTHER and SISTER in cages in dungeons downstairs
While they prayed overhead to a God they claimed was theirs alone.
Culturally Conservative
SPIN
Just yesterday they tried to rob another BLACK MAN of his POWER
To save face of a WHITE Sister who cannot compete
BLACK MAN come a long way since slavery
No longer fighting for his life
But STILL fighting for RESPECT -
Now he must prove himself to the women and children
He could not protect from the Culturally Conservative
Self-imposed Massa
Who wants them to believe a BLACK MAN cannot make it into the
WHITE HOUSE!
Culturally Conservative
SPIN
Hear the MEDIA MACHINE cranking out nonsense in between the lines of
‘Obama still struggling to win key constituencies’
Ignoring the FACT thata BLACK MAN
has won more States, POPULAR VOTES, and Delegates
than C-LIE-nton.
Purporting that the AMERICAN VOTER
will not vote a BLACK MAN into the WHITE HOUSE
If he is pitted against a WHITE Man
Culturally Conservative
Self-imposed Massa
Trying to keep even his own kind in cages in dungeons downstairs
While they pray overhead to OUR GOD That a NIGGER won’t make it into their WHITE HOUSE
Culturally Conservative
RACIST
Will WE, as a NATION, a melting pot of GOD’s PEOPLE
As I danced upon beats and wiled the time away in laughter & bubbles of little children's playful smiles
Somewhere miles away many more children died on a playground
Shot down by missiles aimed at parents targetted to pay the price for the greed and vice of a few
Somehow I no longer believe in the motto of a team
'All for one and one for all,' that leads to the massacre of victims who pay all for the price of one
But what do you teach your children to prevent further killing
when every notion of individualism is to attain greatness for self? - even at the cost of all else
It seems the world is upside down and right side out toting gun and cannon
Seeking our own plan not considering that someday, blood will be shed in our own backyard
and the enemy will be our children
swinging in playgrounds
chasing bubbles
while missiles aim to shoot them down...
FACT:The International Criminal Court has estimated that 10,000 people have been killed in the Civil War in Libya, as of March 7th, 2011. Many of those killed have been children - whether by the hands of their fellow countrymen, or by the hands of those foreign military involved in the global response to the Civil War.
I pray the mercy of God on their Souls, and PEACE to their Nation. And I pray every Nation involved will see truth and respond with the Brotherhood necessary to save our children.
About 6 years ago I was under some emotional turmoil. If you breathing you know childhood experiences, life circumstances, & life in general can rock you to your core. In exasperation I prayed pretty much in the same manner as this song...today, it finally occurred to me that God has used those very same things that were overwhelming me, allowed me to see them, as if reflected back at me in the mirror of my Soul, and turned them around for my good.
I invite you to allow God to burn all things away from you, from your past, from your here and now that hinder your growth, that cripple your heart, that seek to steal, kill and destroy the purpose of God in your life...do not be afraid...God's fire is far more supreme than the eternal burning one that not only consumes, but destroys...God's fire REFINES & STRENGTHENS...and makes us alive again - with driven purpose.
Be well again...
FACT:
Zechariah 13: 9 - I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God'
2 Corinthians 7-10 - To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
John 15: 1-8 - I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
*** "Consume Me" is from Emrand Henry's CD "No Retreat, No Surrender". You can find it on www.GospelReggae.com ENJOY! And let the power, love and fire of God CONSUME YOU! ***
