so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3: 17-19

Ok, Im coming to you live from the Fordham Law Atrium, there are a lot of boring conversations going on around me so bare with me. I’ll be in court all day so I am writing this message at 9:14am but I am sure it will not get to you until after 12pm. Maybe even 1, they are actually calling me now boooo! Ok I’m back, had to find a starbucks while on this quick break. But I am glad I was interrupted because shortly after I stopped writing I got a text from a close friend who is in the hospital. He is dealing with high blood pressure and kidney failure. A young man might I add and at that moment this scripture made a little bit more sense to me. I ask that we all keep him in our prayers.

I told him that by allowing Jesus to dwell in our hearts though our faith we are strengthening our belief, we are strengthening the legacy which he has shown us. I am not sure if I am even wording my thoughts clearly but what I was trying to convey is that by us believing in our hearts through our faith that Christ will pull him through we are strengthening the legacy of Christ, strengthening our belief in the spirit and allowing the Lord to know that we know that he will prevail. The scripture say that our love for Christ, for our Savior surpasses knowledge and allows us to be filled to the measure of all of the fullness of God. I just took it like through my belief and my faith, that God has better days for me and loves me as I love him, I will peak! I will reach my destiny, our dreams and prayers will be granted because of our faithfulness. No matter what a person is dealing with, we can find comfort in two things. One is that we have God and he will never leave us and secondly we have friends and family who engulf us with love even when we reject it. And it is through these two types of love that we conquer our fears, accept our dreams and prosper. I gotta go back to court. Peace and Grace be unto you!

If the glove does not fit, you must acquit!

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: thought it tarry, wait for it because it shall surely come……. Habakkuk 2:3

A close friend of mine sent me this scripture a few nights ago. Prior to receiving it we had been on opposite ends of a conversation about how to handle certain things. So as a fool does, when I received this scripture, I read through it but I did not try to understand it. When our own ignorance is bliss sometimes we do not see when a lesson is being presented before our very eyes. I try not to stay ignorant for too long and I went back and read the word again. I started to allow the words to resonate within me, searching for the reason that this particular scripture had been sent to me.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time. My vision, your vision but most of all God’s vision for the greatness that we will achieve. Many of us get worn out, and frankly become tired because we feel that our dreams are taking to long to come true. Our prayers are lying in wait and while they sit in limbo, we live in the world daily with these thoughts on our brains. It takes a wise person to realize the dream is still in the universe, the prayer will be answered and when it is, it shall speak truth into our lives. However, it is not the time; what you mean it’s not the time Ced? Don’t get mad at me; I’m asking the same question with you. But just maybe if tomorrow we could achieve our greatest good, our destiny. Just maybe at this time in our lives we would not be able to appreciate it or handle the greatness we are to become. The Lord says though it may linger, have faith because his blessing will surely come to us. We are all being tested daily in our ability to have patience and to have faith in the Lord. I’m down to wait; I pray for all of us, that what we receive doubles our expectations and we laugh when we remember that we had little faith at one time and how blessed we have become. How blessed we were all along. Peace and Grace be unto you.

Proverbs are the daughters of experience

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

While watching an old episode of the Arsenio Hall show, Louis Farrakhan quoted Jesus saying “know the truth and the truth will set you free”. Powerful words, which have been spoken so many times from our different leaders that we forget the originator of such wisdom. Truth can be a vague term however, there are no absolute truths, except for the Glory of God. But I always try to look deeper into the God within me, and I ask myself for my own truth. When we live in the truth’s of other people we are essentially living our own lie because we are not being true to ourselves.

We must define ourselves prayerfully through the noble principles that have been set forth by our Creator. We have to really find the truth within this path the Lord has set for us, so that way we are truly giving it our all. Think about when people live for their parents; solely what their parents want of them, or their friends. They live empty lives because they are not chasing their own true passions. I don’t think it’s any different with our belief in God, we must seek out what God means to us and how he resonates within us. I can’t just rely on the fact that my grandmother was a devout Christian and let that guide me. What happens when I am faced against a wall and I am working on borrowed faith; I may abandon it because it was not genuinely within me? So today I am looking to follow the words of Gangstarr and “step back and observe with couth for we all must meet our moment of truth”. I want to be able to look within myself and define my reality for me, define my relationship with God, friends, and family for me. So that I am not chasing a false dream but walking towards the truth that Jesus told us will set us free. Peace and Grace be unto you!

One falsehood spoils a thousand truths

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Luke 12: 22-26

All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

This scripture is right on time! Earlier this morning I wrote a piece about following one’s destiny, and being in tune with your calling. Words can be so limiting, sometimes when I hear words like “calling” and “destiny”, they sound so far away. They sound like these glossed over dreams that we may never achieve, because we all know many people live and die on this earth without ever knowing their true purpose. I’m not sure of my purpose but that’s why I love this scripture. All things work together for good; well that means the negative scenarios we face, the positive ones, and those situations where we really don’t feel one way or the other are all working towards the good of us. These situations are preparing us for our greatest good, that’s our destiny!

That’s dope, like I really like the concept that the different situations in our lives whether good or bad are actually working for the good of us. This for those who love God of course, but no matter what your denomination or religious background surely we all love God. How can we not, when God resides in all things, God is all knowing and he exists everywhere. God is in me, and God is in you so we all love God there’s no debate there. But when we don’t love ourselves, when we constantly put ourselves in situations that are harmful to us, we are not allowing things in our lives to work together for the good of us. Today is Friday, the weekend is here, let us not get bogged down in our purpose and how we are going to save the world or how lack our finances (like mine) may be. Instead lets move toward a closer relationship with God, understanding that he resides within us and start allowing all of our circumstances to work together for the good of us and towards our purpose. Peace and Grace be unto you!

It is the calm and silent water that drowns a man.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  Jeremiah 29: 11-12

While riding to school today I was bumping (playing loudly) Tupac’s “Only God can Judge me”! Deep words, that’s a deep statement, it means we are only letting God be in control of our lives and not allowing anyone else such power over us. Then I looked to the scripture and the Lord says “for I know the plans I have for you”. I may have no idea where I will be, what type of situation I will be in within the next 3 days but the Lord does. He knows the plan he has for me, he knows the path that he has set forth for me. So I can not be bothered with the judgments and thoughts of other people because they do not have my best interest at heart. What I need to be worried about is building a closer relationship with God so that i can understand the plans that he has for me. Understanding that there will be highs and lows but ultimately he is just trying to prepare me for my greatest good.

The Lord says in this scripture that his plans are for us to prosper not harm us, that he has plans to give us hope and a future. That’s the type of company I would like to keep, a superior being who is watching out for me, watching my back at all times. So we have to give glory to God, we can all think about situations that clearly could have went a completely different way for us. We are not that great that we change our destiny through the universe, instead we have been blessed by a God who protects and cares for us unconditionally. Then you will call upon me and I will listen to you. I have learned that prayer is not just when you lay down and go to sleep. Throughout our day we must communicate with God, I mean we communicate with everyone else. Today I look forward to surrendering my issues to the Lord and knowing that it is only he that can judge me. I don’t mind his judgment because I know that he has my best interest in mind. Peace and Grace be unto you.

That which does not kill me can only make me stronger

March 5, 2008

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” - Proverbs 19:21

What is your calling, what are your dreams; what is the ambition inside of you that drives your desires?  Are plans in a man’s heart the equivalent of thoughts in one’s mind. Often we have many notions of how life “should be”, how “we should” be treated. However, when these thoughts of ours do not manifest in our lives we become disengaged. We become disengaged with the process of achieving these goals and can become sincerely impatient. Well the scripture baffles me because I have two entirely different understandings of it, are the plans in my heart wrong or am I too impatient to receive the proper understanding?

First Thought: We may believe in plans that we have created for ourself but some of those plans may not be our destiny. We may have a different calling that we are fighting, however the Lord, our Creator has a purpose for our lives and he will prevail. So we must not become too involved in what we “think” is right for us, we must allow our God Given talents and the purpose that he has for us to reign supreme.

Second thought:  But then I see it as, my heart is connected to my soul, it’s the base of my understanding, so the plans of my heart guide me. If I am in touch with the Lord, and have accepted the Creator into my heart and soul, then our plans won’t be too far from each other. So then what about when those plans and my ideas do not match up with what is happening in my life? Does this mean that my ideas are different from the Lord’s purpose for me? Hmmm, at a first glance maybe, but then I think of the trials and tribulations we must endure to get to our dreams. Those plans remain steadfast within our hearts, the purpose that the Lord has for us may not be revealed immediately. Some say patience is a virtue, so we have to dream, we have to answer our calling and allow our ambitions to guide us. The plans in our hearts may be very well the Lord’s purpose for us. But as this earth wasn’t built in a day, neither will our dreams and aspirations. We must be still, use prayer, and truly plan with our heart in order to bring to form our purpose and or destiny. Peace and Grace be unto you!

There is so much to write about

To sing about, to shout about

In the Negro race!

On each page of history

America sees my face–

On each page of history

We leave a shining trace–

On each page of history

My race!

  My race!

          My race! ! !- Langston Hughes

February 22, 2008

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. II Corinthians 4:18

Yesterday a couple of different people hit me up and said that yesterday’s word was truly meant for them and they thanked me for it. It wasn’t me, God has led us to such a relationship that I would even feel comfortable to send this type of message and more importantly that you would receive it. The verse above speaks to me in such a way that I could write for hours, it is so timely and so pertinent in my life right now that its amazing. This verse is asking us to not become fixated on what is directly in front of us for that is temporary. However our dreams, our ambitions that are endless and unseen, those things will be come eternal. Constantly the Lord is asking us to not rely on sight, but to rely on our faith. My ears are wide open because when you hear something once, you know it glazes over you. You hear it twice, you start to pay closer attention but when you continuously keep hearing the same message you have to give that piece of advice some attention.

For what is seen is temporary; pain is temporary, happiness can be temporary if we are not thankful for the greatness that we receive today. But what is unseen, those dreams that you yourself haven’t even realized yet, those are eternal. Think back to five years ago, where were you? Think about the good things that have happened in your life, can you honestly say five years ago that you saw some of those things as feasible. I know for a fact that five years ago some of the accomplishments that I have made I had not even dreamed of. I say this message is so on time, because today as I was driving to school, with a major assignment due, I was becoming stressed out. Head in my lap, almost defeated in a sense because I’ve been sick for the past 3 weeks. I’m a student, so you know I’m broke, I live in the middle of nowhere where snow is on the ground more often than its not. I was just blinded by all of the things I see, the things that are right in front of me. A friend acknowledged that all of these pressures may be building up on all of us, but what is unseen, that is what I am now looking forward to. While I sit in class, graduation is imagined but its unseen, the greatness I can achieve afterwards is unseen but even though I can’t see it I know it’s attainable. All of the drama and problems of today are seen but WE cannot fix our eyes upon them. WE cannot lock our minds into what is temporary for there is a GREATNESS that awaits us ALL and it is UNSEEN. Be the key that unlocks your own destiny by mentally removing the temporary obstacles that sit before you! Peace and Grace be unto you!

In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later.

February 21, 2008

As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside by begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. And he cried out, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me! And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me! And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him.  And when he came near, he asked him, what do you want me to do for you? He said, Lord, let me recover my sight. And Jesus said to him, Recover your sight; your faith has made you well. And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. 

– Luke 18: 35-43

Good morning, I had to read this one a few times because at first all I saw was the man recovering his sight by way of his faith. However, when I looked a little deeper I saw so much more and I wanted to share my thoughts. Things were running through my head, like our destiny, and the journey we must travel to get there.

He cried out for Jesus because he knew that he could help him. Men sat right there and knew that the man needed help yet they rebuked him. Here a man in need is almost turned away by his fellow man despite his cries for help. Think about your dreams, think about when you are in need and some people try to hold you back, they don’t help push your dreams forward instead they attempt to hold you back. Should you stop! The man didn’t stop, he cried louder, cried out for the Lord louder. Here the man shows how determined he is, he knows the works of Jesus; he knows that this moment right now may change his life. He won’t allow any adversity to stop him from reaching his destiny, that’s what his cries represent to me.

Jesus heals him, but his words are so real, your faith has made you well. Your faith; what you believe in is how you reach your destiny, that is how we achieve. Believing in the creator, having faith that we do not exist here alone, the man had faith in the power of the Lord and he was healed. He didn’t take that healing and go chill, like “I’m good”. Instead he followed in the way of the lord, giving praise to God. He took the blessing the Lord gave him and showed it to everyone who could see so that they could know the power of the Lord. Sometimes when we read a passage like this, I know I imagine a dirt road, and from that point on this man followed Jesus around. But today I looked at it like he followed in the ways of Jesus; he followed in the teachings, and allowed his new sight, him reaching his destiny to be a testament of the Lord’s work. We get blessings everyday, when we are blessed maybe we should take from this man and show others the blessing so that they too can be blessed. I like how the man went on to show others his blessing despite the fact that others had tried to keep him from his blessing.  Peace and Grace be unto you!

A man with too much ambition cannot sleep in peace.