For a long time I have been debating whether or not I should become a vegetarian. I started to think about it seriously last summer while reading Russell Simmons book “Do You”. He had a lot of knowledge in there discussing our health and how the food we eat affects our mental health and our spiritual being.

However, we become slaves to our desires and sometimes a quarter pounder with cheese and french fries tastes so gooooddd! But lately I have been thinking about what Russell Simmons was saying and also just about us treating our bodies like temples. If we consume a bunch of unhealthy foods now, it will show on us later on in life. Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes; none of these are the look that I’m going for.

So last night I decided that I would become a vegetarian and give my body the attention it deserves. So on my fat boy tip I went to McDonald’s one last time and thought I was about to pig out. Hmmm the picture above shows my half eaten hamburger that was barely cooked. The meat was so red I wonder if they put it on the grill at all. I couldn’t even be mad, this was a sign that I was making the right choice. Even though quarter pounders with cheese feel great that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Unprotected sex feels great too but it can KILL YOU!

I am not a meat hater, continue to enjoy your burgers and ribs. I however will be eating more soy products and seafood. This actually makes me a pescetarian, I just learned this word today. Peace and love!

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

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

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.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3: 15-17

The high road; often the road less travelled but yet still a road for us to take. We are challenged everyday and judged by the decisions that we make to those challenges. Sometimes those judgments are hard and very hard to deal with, but there they are staring you in the face. How do you react? Do you fight fire with fire, do you judge right back? We might, but for what, don’t you remember when you were little and your parents told you to ignore somebody. If you ignore them that they will go away, or they will become so angry that you aren’t fueling their fire that they would cool off. So how come now that everybody’s grown we have to have something to say. “No, I’m grown”, I hear it all the time, well then act like it and turn the cheek and do not concern yourself with such foolishness.

People are going to judge you, their going to judge your belief in God, your clothes, your choice of profession. People are so nosey they judge how you spend your money. Listen to the word, don’t get mad; simply respond in a respectful manner because you are a respectable person. Let them know why you do the things that you do and how great you feel for doing it. As the word says they will be ashamed of their slanderous words because you didn’t respond and help fuel their anger. I’m talking to myself so don’t think I’m talking to anyone else. People get on my nerves all the time, so much I have to call my mom! Lol! But seriously if you are doing the right thing, and being judged for it the word tells us it is better to suffer for doing good rather than doing evil. Don’t be impressed by those who are getting by, I can’t even front; when someone is causing me drama and I take the high road, I become obsessed with how they’re the ones doing wrong but I’m catching the jack. I have to lose that mentality, and realize that whatever lesson I am supposed to learn from that suffering is God’s will, not my own. Let’s learn to take the high road more often having faith that the reward at the end of that road is greater than any other reward we could ever receive. Peace and Grace be unto you!

Suffering is prior to attaining success or perfection

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 5:10

I have a version of the Bible titled “The Book”, a brother gave this bible to me this past summer. In “The Book” this same scripture reads as, Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness! Yet many of us are chasing the dollar, I myself am extremely broke, and I won’t lie and say that I am happy in my broken despair (lol) but I do find joy. There are tons of things we can find joy in in the world but what brings me the most joy and I think is often taken for granted are our family and friends. Family and friends are those who support us when we are down, they are the ones who are most proud of our achievements and they give us the strength to keep pushing when we feel that we have nothing left to give.

The scripture is right, only a fool thinks that wealth will bring happiness. Well wealth in a monetary sense, because to have a wealth of good family and friends, let me repeat that, good family and friends are one of the greatest gifts we can receive from the Creator. As I travel to Philadelphia today I am thankful because I will be spending time with my family and friends as one of my close friends is getting married. A joyous occasion it will be, a joyous occasion I really do need. With all the stresses of life and school I look forward to spending time with people I care about and people who care about me. I know it is God who sees that I need this break, and he has afforded me enough money (NOT ALOT OF MONEY) but enough to give thanks to him and watch two people say their vows before him and in his name. Take time to remember the people we sometimes forget, I am sure they will make your day a little bit warmer. Peace and Grace be unto you!

The soul that is within me no man can degrade.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.  1 Peter 5: 10-11

After you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. I pray that this little while of suffering is not life and then I will be happy in the after life. I have heard scriptures be interpreted that way, I pray that is not the case. I think the Lord is saying I have given my all for you, I have been caused pain too by the sins of this world. Yet I have given my only son so that you can be strong, so that you may find a way to eternal happiness through the principles of love and peace that he taught. This temporary suffering is just that; temporary, and after you have suffered I will not only restore your original happiness, but I will make you strong, steadfast and firm.

We need opposition, we need tough times, we need them like we need those great moments in our life. We need tears, just like we need a beautiful smile. Common said “I guess knowing I’m weak is when I’m really being strong, some how through the dusk I could see the dawn”. It is at our moments when we feel our weakest, when we feel that the world is crashing down on us that we are exemplifying our beautiful strength that God has bestowed upon us. Why? Because we are still pushing, we are still hoping, despite whatever circumstances may be weighing us down we still have the ability to fight and push past these obstacles. Don’t be a slave to your vocabulary; suffering comes in many forms. It is not just physical pain or extreme heart break, no suffering is feeling inadequate about something, suffering is the mental anguish we deal with when things aren’t going the way we planned. But through faith in God and belief in oneself we can see the dawn. STILL WE RISE. Peace and Grace be unto you!

Many spiritual teachers - in Buddhism, in Islam - have talked about first-hand experience of the world as an important part of the path to wisdom, to enlightenment.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3

Self-esteem, how many of us truly have it. If we do, where do we get it from, if we don’t, to what do we allow the pleasure of taking it away. Many will read the word self-esteem and immediately say, this isn’t talking about me, you are actually the person this scripture is talking to the most. The word says do not think of yourself more highly than you should, I would also say do not think of yourself lower than you should which I have been a victim of from time to time. The people who I have found to be the most self confident, who can deal with trials and tribulations and their glow is still phenomenal are those who have a firm belief in God. Those who have a stark faith in God seem to not allow the daily troubles of the world get them down because their belief is that their Creator has something greater in store for them.

I admire such strength, I admire anyone who is wise enough to know in their heart of hearts that God has a plan for them. That the plan he has is better than the plan any of us have conjured up in our minds. It is our attachment to these thoughts which cause us to either think to highly of ourselves, or to not think highly enough. I am looking forward to having that same type of faith, the type of faith where nothing can shake me because I know that I am protected, because I know that no matter what curve balls are thrown my way I will still knock them right out of the park. The only way we can get there, and have true self confidence, true self esteem is to look deep within ourselves and trust in our Creator. Peace and Grace be unto you!

A man’s character always takes its hue, more or less, from the form and color of things about him.

Wisdom crieth out, she uttereth her voice in the streets; She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,  How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Proverbs 1:20-22

Do not silence your voice, allow your true self to be heard! I read the other day where a man said, “when you see and hear the good in me, you are looking at God, when you see the bad in me, you are looking at me and all of my imperfections”. When you speak the truth, you speak an act of good faith along with your words. The bible says that wisdom cries out, her voice can be heard in the streets. There’s a cry for your wisdom in today’s world. Key word here is your wisdom, not your judgment. There’s a need for a voice of love and compassion on our streets, to speak life to our children, hope for our peers, and gratitude to our elders. Your wisdom is based upon your experience, the experiences that you have had culminate into a wealth of knowledge that needs to fall upon deaf ears. Your words may spark a change, a much needed change in someone’s life. Use your voice for love and not destruction, it is a noble action, your only gratification being that you know you helped a fellow human being on their road to success.

Fools hate knowledge, and with their hate for knowledge they will purposely tune out your kind words and helpful actions. But who wants to walk amongst fools anyway, it will largely lead down the wrong path. I am more interested in finding like minded individuals who strengthen the steps that I wish to take while here on this earth. The verses following the two above show wisdom abandoning fools and largely letting them deal with their troubles alone. But we are all fools at some point or another, and we all look for another chance to right our wrongs. So it is then that you must use this beautiful voice that experience is sharpening and allow it to speak truth to the power of our Creator and speak out to those who may have hated your knowledge in the past. All this talk of truth is not to be confused with judgment, the very judgment that has taken many of us away from churches and religion in general. No sir, this is a spiritual truth of wisdom, nobility and honor. Let us love our people by our actions and our words and be hopeful that the same love will be bestowed upon us. Peace and Grace be unto you.

You have to be taught to be second class; you’re not born that way.

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