The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit In Plain English

As a young  christian, it was really hard for me to understand the holy trinity.  It was just hard for me to get my arms around the understanding that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all one and the same.  I recently read a book called "The Shack" that made this  relationship as clear as day to me.  It is one of the most thought provoking books that I have read in sometime. Actually, I have read this book three times, have referred it to several people and have bought several copies as  presents. Here are some reasons why:
The book is filled with many memorable quotes like, "Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets." by Paul  Tournier.  Now, this quote is worth a blog all by its self. Another that caught my attention is, " No matter what God's power may be, the first aspect of God is never that of absolute Master, the Almighty. It is that of God who puts himself on our human level and limits himself.  __Jacques Ellul, "Anarchy and Christianity.  How better can one simply explain Jesus? In this book God appears as a rather large happy black woman and to me  this was magically delicious for many many reasons.  I hope this fact provokes  your  curiosity to find out  why. I did not understand the importance of God being portrayed as a black woman in the beginning, but as I read and began to understand who God is, I understood why God was characterized in this manner. This book also explained the complete spiritual circle and life cycle connection  among  God, Adam and Eve.  This book even helped me to better understand God's love and mercy for all of his children even the most wicked among men.  I would love to talk more with you about  this  book afters you have read it.  Please leave your  comments and let's discuss the wonderful book

The Shack

The Shack Google Review

Mature Love

This is MATURE LOVE!

No matter your political preference what resonates is the love that this couple share for one another.  I actually cried when I saw this embrace.  Real or imagined via this picture, this is the type of love that we all dream of having.
I am a little older now and what I once considered ideal love, I have found not to be so  ideal.  I have an older  sister and have posed the question to her, "What is really important for you to have in a man at age 60?" What I do know is that my thoughts have changed over the years. Let me see if I can recap by age.
Twenties:  College educated, good looking and a job. I can remember that a good looking man with a job was a catch.  In my twenties, I was thinking about starting  to have children  so great genes were important because God forbid  that I would have an ugly baby and a job meant that we could pull together to buy the things that we wanted and could have a social life.  Basically we both are broke.
Thirties: College educated, ok looking and a career. Hey, baby making was done.  Genes weren't as important.  A career meant that we could start empire building and acquire bigger and better things. Meaningful conversations  and family became more important.
Forties: Where I am now, Smart, financially savvy, and healthy.  Big difference now.  This is where maturity starts to kick-in.  I know now that a degree does not make a person.  I have learned that there are many millionaires that are successful without a college degree. Having someone who is intelligent is far better than just looking for someone with a college degree.  Finances are important.  It is more prudent that a person knows how to effectively manage money and is able to plan for retirement.  I know a lot of financially corrupt  and bankrupt millionaires who lost fortunes and will have to be on a job while on their death beds. Having someone who is healthy and in shape is more important than just being good looking. When you are thinking about traveling and enjoying a retirement, it will be a bummer not to be able to enjoy life because of health issues.  Being healthy also means that a fulfilling sex  life is possible.  Any forty year old woman will tell you that she is in her sexual prime and sex is important.  At forty all of the sexual hang-ups seem to disappear.
I believe that mature love  begins when we are in our forties.  Life experiences have taught us what is important.  We have learned that we cannot fight every battle.  We are self assure and we understand who we are and have determined our core values.  Pure and mature love is possible.  Our old love has grown or new love is found.  I am not sure what the Fifties will bring but I know that I want what I feel when I look at the picture above of Obamas.

Here are two links to books that have helped me to mature:

His Needs Her Needs

5 Love Languages

Raising Girls to Be Strong Women

The life of a parent is not easy.  When our children are born they do not come with instruction manuals that tell us what we should do daily to ensure that the end result of our parenting is well adjusted, productive people.  I have at times sat sad and confused about how to parent my daughters.  However, I can proudly admit that no matter how any mistakes that I have made along the way, I have pretty great kids.  I truly thank God every day for this reality.  I know what it means when someone says that there is power in a mother's prayers.  My advice is that when you are confused, pray even harder.  By no means are my girls angels but they are great people and while I did not have an instruction manual here are some things that worked for me especially as a single mother.

1. Talk honestly and openly with your children but remember your discussions should be age appropriate.

2. Get your children involved in your community, church and/or sports.

3. Discipline your children as appropriate.  Some children respond better to timeouts or stern admonishment.  Some children you may have to spank.  Learn which approach works best  with your child.

4. It takes a village to raise a child.  Group parenting with close friends that you respect and trust works well.  Others sometime can get through to your children when you cannot.  And yes...they will sometime just reinforce what you have been saying all along.

5.  Be respectful to your children.  It is ok to say please and thank you to them.

6.  Remember always that you are their parent and not their friend.

7.  There is never a compromise when it come to right or wrong, legal or illegal.

8.  What you do and what you say count.  Your children are always watching and are little "mini me's".

9. Don't be afraid to set high standard and goals for your children and provide structure.

10. Spend one on one time with your children in their room. Talk with them for 30 minutes to one hour in their rooms.  Observe the contents of their room.  Ask questions about anything in their rooms that peeks your interest. Openly discuss anything in their room that causes you concern.  Remember...while you respect them, you are not their friend and they have no privacy that is not earned in your home. Trust equates to privacy. Distrust equates to no privacy.

Bonus: Both parents are important.  Children need their mother and father.  Don't be afraid to get a Godmother or Godfather for your children if the other parent is irresponsible.  Having both  sexes involved in the raring of a child adds dimension and perspective to a child's life.  Put aside differences when possible for the sake of your child.  Don't be afraid to ask for support from friends.

Click on link for a great book!

Your-Daughters-Bedroom-Insights

Did You Know That There Are Five Love Languages?

Boy!  I wish someone had explained this to me some time ago.  Life surely would have been easier for the kid.  Gary Chapman explains this theory in detail in his series of books called, "The Five Love Languages".  Needless to say, I went through life loving others as my mother and grandmother expressed love to me.  It just seemed like the natural  thing to do...right?  Ok, so as we get older, we learn something new everyday.  You can in fact teach an old dog a new trick.  I learned that there are five distinct ways that people give and receive love.  They are 1. Words of Affirmation, 2. Gifts, 3. Acts of Service, 4. Quality Time, 5. Physical Touch.  Low and behold the love language of your parents will be the one that you learn how to speak first and will be your primary language.  This is called the "heart language".  It is definitely a must that you know how you receive love and how your significant other receives love.  Once this is understood both of your love cups stay full.  For example, If your love language is gifts or acts of service and you are given words of kindness, no matter how many kind words that are said to you, you will always feel empty.  However, a simple small box of Godiva chocolates of a new gadget of some sort will go a very long way.  Get it now?

Uncle Tom's Cabin....Not at all what I thought!

I just finished reading Uncle Tom's Cabin.  I never read it in school and was curious.  I have always heard about this book but never read it.  I was further drawn to read it because I recently read some where that this book was very instrumental in getting slavery abolished in America.  I never knew that abotu this book. I now understand why.  Harriet Beecher Stowe has my utmost respect after reading her book.  She was able to capture the essence of the brutality and inhumanity of slavery in a way that ALL could understand.  She did an excellent job of telling the story and opnions of both the Southern slave owner and  the Northern abolitionist. I was surprise to know that the Northern Abolitionists were not as noble as I was lead to believe.  The last paragraph of the book sums it all up beautifully. " A day of grace is yet held out to us.  Both North and South have been guilty before God; and the Christian Church has a heavy account to answer.  Not by combining together, to protect injustice and cruelty, and making a common capital sin, is this Union to be saved, - but by repentance, justice and mercy; for, not sure is the eternal law by which the millstone sinks in the ocean, than that stronger law by which injustice  and cruelty shall bring on nations the wrath of Almight God!".....  Wow!  Good stuff.  This book should go back to being a MUST Read. How soon we forget or never really come to understand.

Another Great Book - "The Conversation" by Hill Harper

I am always one for a great book so when I read one, I love to share that knowledge.  Hill Harper does an excellent job in this book discussing how men and women, particularly Black men and women, can build loving, trusting relationships.  I will tell you that he left NO stone unturned.  There are great conversation points that will definitely add a spark to your next dinner party.  I particularly loved the quotes that started each new chapter.  Some of my favorites are: "Patience is a secret weapon that forces deception to reveal  itself.", " The relationships that I have taken most seriously are the ones that progressed from A to F to I...Acquaintance to Friendship to Intimacy.",  "Wise commitments do not bind us; they free us.  To the spiritually immature, "commitment" is a very scary word because it is internalized as bondage. But to the spiritually mature, commitment is the equivalent of freedom because it bestows authentic happiness that cannot be taken away.", and last " Love seeks to satisfy others at the expense of self.  Lust seeks to satisfy self at the expense of others.  WOW!  This is what I call great stuff!  Read "The Conversation" for yourself and tell me what YOU think.

I am back......with The Power!

It has been a while since my last post.  Well, I am back...back with a new thought for you.  I am reading the book called "the POWER".  It is a fantastic book.  A little from the book....."Without The Power, you would not have been born.  Without The Power, there wouldn't be a single human being on the planet.  Every discovery, invention, and human creation comes from The Power.  Perfect health, incredible relationships, a career you love, a life filled with happiness and the money you need to be, do, and have everything you want, all come from The Power.   The life of your dreams has always been closer to you than you realize, because The Power - to have everything good in life  - is inside you.  To create anything, to change anything, all it takes is just one thing.......THE POWER."  By Rhonda Byrnes

Wisdom From Foolish People

I guess everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt...even the fool.  I am rereading "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder" by Vincent Bugliosi. What caught my attention as a profound thought is an analogy that he gives.  He states, "If Winston Churchill said something about WWII, and a bum in a Bowery gutter said something quite the opposite,whom would you believe? There's really only one answer to that question, and it's not the one that 99 % of people would reflexively give - Winston Churchill.  The only proper answer to the  question is , I'd have to hear what they had to say.  This is obviously true since we know that just as a wise man can say something foolish, a fool can say something wise."  WOW!  This is a thought to ponder.  How many times have we dismissed people for who we perceived them to be.  I really had to take note of just how I handle information from people whom I have deemed foolish.  It even sounds acute to even admit that I consider some people foolish.  We must be very careful.  It may be just that one time that we choose not to  hear out the fool that he or she gives us wisdom.  What about you? How do you handle info that comes from one whom you have deemed the fool?

http://www.amazon.com/Prosecution-George-W-Bush-Murder/dp/159315481X

The Best Books

Ever just wanted a great book to read? A book that you just can not put down. Well I have a few that I will recommend. There is nothing like a great book.

Jack and Jill - James Patterson

Have A Little Faith - Mitch Albom

Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom

The Imortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder - Vincent Bugliosi


Give me your reviews and happy reading.

Note: I am a true book junkie