Category Archives: Prayer

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Use What You Got To Get What You Want…aka Side Hustlers Unite!!!

Hello World!!!

What the bizness? (Okay, that is my attempt at using the current slang…did I use that term right? I am 35 now for goodness sake.) So as of yesterday, I have a financial coach…Before I get into that, let me give you the back story…about a year ago, I started praying for financial prosperity…not the “Oh Lord, Won’t you buy me a Mercedes- Benz” type of prayer, but I realized I needed more ends. Maybe days later, the Lord blessed me with some ends, and I was like “Whoa God, You really workin’ it out fast!” And I started working longer hours at my job, but I still felt like something was missing…

It is a widely accepted stereotype that many journalists are not good with numbers…I cannot vouch for all journalists, but this one right here is not so good with numbers…(Shout out to DKW! You know of which I speak…) And I haven’t learned very much about finances over the years either. My father admitted that he wishes he knew more about finances…I personally know that he did the very best with what he knew, and it was all good…I never knew something could be turned off until I moved out on my own…I won’t tell you how I know, ha,ha…

So over the years, I would buy a finances book here or there, and I have listened to financial guru Clark Howard on the radio and even attended a financial seminar or two, but nothing clicked…I eventually realized that I would have to either work on a one-on-one basis with somebody or take a prolonged class…Both options scared me…I used to have a roommate in college that was diagnosed with “math anxiety.” For whatever reason, the subject of math scared her, and she had to take remedial math classes. My then boyfriend, who majored in statistics, didn’t have any sympathy for her. He said, “That’s just a nice way of saying she’s stupid.” Ain’t that mean? Anyway, back to me, I wasn’t raised to really go after money I guess…But last year, I admitted to myself that I wanted more of it…or at the very least I want to do better with what I have… 

So fast forward to yesterday, I think my new financial coach is the answer to my prayer…I think she will help me to learn to effectively manage my money…and I like her philosophy…She is like it’s not what you make; it’s what you keep…Amen…So I, being the Jamaican that I am or the Jamerican depending on whom you are talking too, do have side hustles…I freelance write, I teach fitness classes, I do market research….But my new coach says I still need to beef up my income so I can build up my savings and fund some much needed, expensive home improvement work.  She said the whole multiple streams of income strategy works for her, and she said she uses all of her God-given talents to bring in those multiple checks…I asked her what can I do to bring in more checks. She told me that I need to ask God, and I will get an answer…But it’s all so scary…And I really don’t want to get a part-time job. I just don’t think I could fit it in my already jam-packed schedule. A friend told me that to supplement her income as a teacher years ago, she delivered papers in the wee hours of the morning before she had to go to work. On another part-time job, she pretty much babysat mentally ill adults on the weekends…

So all of this talk about using your God-given talents reminds me of “The Parable of the Talents” in Matthew 25:14-30.

14The kingdom is also like what happened when a man went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. 15The man knew what each servant could do. So he handed five thousand coins to the first servant, two thousand to the second, and one thousand to the third. Then he left the country.

    16As soon as the man had gone, the servant with the five thousand coins used them to earn five thousand more. 17The servant who had two thousand coins did the same with his money and earned two thousand more. 18But the servant with one thousand coins dug a hole and hid his master’s money in the ground.

    19Some time later the master of those servants returned. He called them in and asked what they had done with his money. 20The servant who had been given five thousand coins brought them in with the five thousand that he had earned. He said, “Sir, you gave me five thousand coins, and I have earned five thousand more.”

    21“Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”

    22Next, the servant who had been given two thousand coins came in and said, “Sir, you gave me two thousand coins, and I have earned two thousand more.”

    23“Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”

    24The servant who had been given one thousand coins then came in and said, “Sir, I know that you are hard to get along with. You harvest what you don’t plant and gather crops where you haven’t scattered seed. 25I was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is every single coin!”

    26The master of the servant told him, “You are lazy and good-for-nothing! You know that I harvest what I don’t plant and gather crops where I haven’t scattered seed. 27You could have at least put my money in the bank, so that I could have earned interest on it.”

    28Then the master said, “Now your money will be taken away and given to the servant with ten thousand coins! 29Everyone who has something will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken from those who don’t have anything. 30You are a worthless servant, and you will be thrown out into the dark where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”

I don’t want to be like the third servant…I may only have one talent, but if I work hard, it will multiply…that’s what’s in the Word. And goodness, I think we all could use a little multiplication in these times…So do y’all have any ideas about appropriate side hustles for me? Or should I just walk myself up to my local mall and work at one of the stores…What do you do when you want to supplement your income? Goodness, I hope I’m not tellin’ tooo much of my bizness…

Any thoughts?

P.S. I really want to post Rick Ross’ video for “Hustlin,'” but some of y’all may be offended…wouldn’t want to do that… 🙂

Instead, I took it back to the old school…

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We Fall Down…But He Got Up!!!

Hello World!!!

Two words. He. Arose…I could stop there, but I won’t…At the Maundy Thursday service I attended a few days ago, each person was given a scripture to read as a part of the service…

Below is the scripture that I read:

32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, Sit here while I pray. 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, he said to them. Stay here and keep watch. 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 Abba, Father, he said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will. 37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Simon, he said to Peter, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?  38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. 39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 41 Returning the third time, he said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Mark 14:32-41

I have been meditating on these scriptures since then, and I think I know what the Lord is saying to me through these verses, and what I think is confirmed by another translation of the same scriptures. The first version is the New International Version of scripture, and the second version is the Contemporary English Version.

32Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he told them, “Sit here while I pray.” 33Jesus took along Peter, James, and John. He was sad and troubled and 34told them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”  35-36Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt down on the ground and prayed, “Father, [a] if it is possible, don’t let this happen to me! Father, you can do anything. Don’t make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. [b] But do what you want, and not what I want.”  37When Jesus came back and found the disciples sleeping, he said to Simon Peter, “Are you asleep? Can’t you stay awake for just one hour? 38Stay awake and pray that you won’t be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.” 39Jesus went back and prayed the same prayer. 40But when he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open, and they did not know what to say. 41When Jesus returned to the disciples the third time, he said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? [c] Enough of that! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners.

Although Jesus Christ knew that He came to Earth to die for our sins, He clearly did not look forward to this ultimate sacrifice. And so He prayed that He would not have to die in the Garden of Gethsemane before the crucifixion. He accurately told the Father that God could remove our sin without Jesus having to lay down his life as God is all powerful. I think Jesus wanted His disciples to petition the Father on His behalf…He asked them three times to pray…Yet they failed Him each time.  Instead they chose to sleep. After His third request, I believe Jesus knew what the Lord absolutely required…something supernatural would have to supersede the natural because the natural wasn’t going to cut it.

I know I can apply this scripture to my life. I think sacrifice is a requirement in the life of a Christian. We may not be required to die on the cross, but we do have a cross to bear – that cross may be different for each person. And who wants to bear a cross…We may pray and ask several people to pray that we don’t have to bear that cross, but in the end, we realize that there is no way to it- unless you go through it…That’s a hard pill to swallow…As I type this post, I know there is something I must sacrifice, but I would rather not…What in your life is God asking you to sacrifice that you rather not… As I ponder on my current cross, I just have to sigh….Thank God, when I’m ready to do my part, I can ask God to supersede the natural and help me….Yes, I fall down…a lot…but thanks be to God, He Got Up and eventually I will too…

Anyway, it’s something to ponder on this blessed Easter Sunday!!!

Any thoughts?

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Of Drugs and Light-Skinned Boys…

Hello World,

Picture it…The year was circa 1983 (Shout out to Sophia Petrillo of “The Golden Girls!” You know you watched it!) I was in the fourth grade and a proud member of The MJ Club. Of course, I am referring to Michael Jackson. I had the poster with MJ wearing the yellow sweater with the oh-so-sexy single Jheri curl cascading down his forehead…It was taped to the back of my bedroom door. MJ, wearing a white suit and black shirt, was lying on his side looking all innocent and fresh faced  on another poster on one of my walls…you know the “Thriller” album cover. I wanted to hang the infamous Prince poster on another wall…you know the one with him in some black underwear…I think he was in the shower. Sexy, sexy! I would have settled with the poster with Prince on his motorcycle…you know the “Purple Rain” poster. But my parents were still plugged into popular music back then and weren’t having Prince on my wall. I sported a plastic bag with Michael Jackson’s name inscribed on it. My shirts were covered with Michael Jackson buttons. That Christmas I unsuccessfully begged my parents for an MJ leather jacket with the zippers all over it.  I was definitely one of his top fans under 13 years old.

But somehow during that year, a light-skinned guy with a ridiculously high-pitched voice managed to test my allegiance to MJ. That guy was none other than El “I Like It” DeBarge. In my mind, I was like Michael is cute and all with his Jheri curl and butter voice, but El had that naturally good hair plus he was light-skindeded too…Ha,ha…And his whole family was soo pretty…Around that time, the movie, “The Last Dragon,” came out and quickly became of one my favorite movies at the time. DeBarge’s song, “Rhythm of the Night” was on the soundtrack for that movie and so I became a huge fan of DeBarge.

DeBarge had so many hits…”All This Love,” “Time Will Reveal,” “Love Me in a Special Way,” “Who’s Holding Donna Now,” “You Wear It Well”  They were almost a modern day “The Jackson 5” only there were four brothers and their sister, Bunny…And dudes loved them some Bunny too…And almost as quickly as they appeared on the scene, they exited stage left into near obscurity. I heard rumors that many of the brothers were on drugs, somebody had gone to jail, etc. But I never knew what conclusively happened to them until I watched TV One show “Unsung.”  DeBarge was featured on its first episode. First of all, I had no idea that their father was white and their mother was dark skinned. The children suffered relentless abuse from their father and their mother was unable to protect them from the abuse.  The two elder DeBarge brothers were a part of the group Switch and were responsible for the hit, “There’ll Never Be.” (Love that song!) Drug abuse and infighting ultimately led to the demise of Switch and DeBarge. But one quote from Bunny haunted me after the show ended. She said she hoped the next generation of the DeBarge family would escape the generational curse of drug abuse in their family.

And so this is a looong intro to the topic of generational curses. My favorite author Catherine Marshall has a chapter on the topic in her book, “Something More.” In the chapter, she quotes Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” Marshall also said, “It soon became apparent that just as we can inherit either a fortune or debts, so in the spiritual realm we can inherit either spiritual blessings or those liabilities (unabashedly called ‘sins’ in Scripture) that hinder our development into mature persons. These blessings or liabilities do not come to us solely by heredity. Obviously, they are passed on by example and by teaching – conscious and unconscious.”

For instance, my grandfather was a pastor. My father is a pastor. I have uncles who are pastors. I aspire to be a Christian author. Faith is definitely something that was passed down in my family. According to my dad, so is obsessive thinking…Goodness gracious, sometimes I am terrorized by how fast my mind spins with obsessive, anxious sometimes crazy thoughts. I revealed this unsettling behavior to my dad once and he told me it happens to him too…I wonder who passed it down to him…

If you think of behaviors – good and bad – that were passed down in your family from generation to generation, it seems almost impossible to escape them. However, Marshall describes her method for breaking these generational behaviors. Of course, it starts with praying and meditating on God’s Word. Marshall said, “‘The generations can start to assume their creative function at any point. Even if most of one’s life is in the past and certain children and grandchildren are acute problem cases, yes, even then God can turn this curse that goes down through the generations into a blessing…For each of us-no matter what our situation or how we feel we have failed -there is hope.”

So what do you think about generational blessings and curses? Do they exist? What has been your experience with them? chris brown

Any thoughts?

P.S. These pics are of a few of my fave light-skinned singers…I struggled whether to include Chris Brown’s photo…but when I thought about it, what is happening with him and Rihanna may be a perfect example of generational dysfunction. From what I’ve read, Brown watched his stepfather abuse his mother and now it seems Brown has become the abuser…let’s pray that Chris Brown deal with his problem and be the person that God created him to be…

Below is a DeBarge video…