King of Pop Turns 50!

Today the King of Pop, Michael Joseph Jackson, born to Joseph and Catherine Jackson turns 50. I am such a huge fan of Michael Jackson and could not let this historic day go by without acknowledging it. As a young girl, at the tender age of 3 I fell in love with Michael Jackson. This love affair still remains today and I am a woman in my 30's. The music is timeless, genius and priceless. Even though MJ has had his share of problems, his music is off the chain. He is a musical genius. He went into orbit in the 80's and never came down. He is the greatest of all time! Michael, Happy happy happy 50th birthday. You are an american icon!!

Calling all Clinton Supporters to Board the Train!

Tomorrow will be a historic day. We've already made history with Barack Obama winning the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States. Tomorrow he will accept the party's nomination on the 45th Anniversary of Martin Luther King's historic "I Have a Dream Speech." We have come so far in this country where a black man has a real chance to actually become President. However, I'm not saying we don't have a long way to go because we do. Unity has still not been achieved. Its not a black and white issue, or male or female issue...its a humanity issue. We all have to get along and feel for our fellow man no matter what. The New Yorker's dealing with 9/11 put grievances aside and helped each other get out and survive no matter the color or gender. I say this to try and get through to Hillary Clinton Supporters.

Last night at the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton gave a dynamic speech about uniting the party and being concerned for the state of America and its citizens. After all, we should be concerned about this right? However, after the speech they spoke with a young African American woman who is a die hard Hillary Clinton Supporter. She said that Hillary's speech was very Presidential and that she should be the nominee. That she would not vote for John McCain, but that Barack Obama had to earn her vote and that he had two months to do it or she may not vote at all.

Well Ms. Missy, not voting is the same as casting a vote for John McCain because you are not taking a stand against him and exercising your right to vote. We have to remember to not get so caught up in the person themselves, but the message and the hope for a better tomorrow. You have to discern which candidate will best do that of the two you have to choose from. You can't get all upset cause your person didn't get in and therefore abandon the mission. Then this woman and many other delegates like her have the nerve to say they will cast votes for Hillary to be the nominee even though she won't win. What kind of message are you sending to the Repulicans? You are saying the party can't get past this and join together behind one person for a common goal cause your ass is on your shoulder. How can Barack win when we can't agree and work hard for the cause. If Hillary can do it, so can you. Trust me, she will alright and will have a great role in this adminstration.

Let's face the facts people, Hillary Clinton lost. She lost. She lost! Did the mission for change die with her presidential bid? No. It didn't. It lives on in Barack Obama and the Democratic party. Don't get so caught up in the Clinton's that you can't see 2 steps past one of Hillary's Pantsuits. To me, that is so backwards. Yes, she made a statement for women. As a woman, I applaud that. However, Change is the message and you have to be willing to change to have change. Had Hillary Clinton won the nomination, I would be working for her campaign and voting for her no questions asked, even though I wholeheartedly support Barack Obama. Wake up people! If you don't we are going to receive 4 more years of repression chalked full of Republican, right-winged idealism! Can we survive that? I think not.

State of Emergency in Black America

Yesterday I picked my son up from his Boys and Girls Club After school program and as we walked out to the car, one of my son's friends asked him If I was his mom. He replied yes, to which the child then asked, "You got a dad?" My son said yes, yes I do. This second question bothered me. Since when did we get so far gone and our families so disconnected that a child would have to ask another child if they have a dad? Have our men gone so haywire that they are not in touch with their families? Even if the parents are not together, the child should not have to ask whether or not they have a dad.

Now with these tragic incidences happening Ol Jessie has the nerve to say Barack Obama is talking down to black people because he is addressing this issue. Is he serious? Bill Cosby has been saying the same thing and our people have taken offense to him. Why? He is telling the truth. When you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that hollers is the one you hit. The black male in America has failed himself and his family. Granted, racism is prevalent and alive in this country, but that should give us motivation to want more, to do more, not to be just what they expect us to be; nothing. Killing each other, selling drugs to one another...is this the way to get ahead? I think not. When are our men gonna step up again and accept some real responsibility. A real man takes care of his children. Maybe the problem is with us, black women. If we wouldn't lay down with little, trifling A boys, we wouldn't have to worry about these boys all of a sudden having to transition to men. We should create families with men already and know how he is going to react to responsibility. When we have sex with a man we must be prepared to share the parenting responsibility with him, even if we do not forsee we will. You never know what will happen. When it does, are you gonna be happy with this sorry A nicca who is now your baby daddy? Can we please, please, please take back our families?

God please step in now in the name of your son Jesus. Teach us the way we should go, and how to go. Give us the tools to be better people and treat those around us, including our children, with the utmost respect and kindness. Lord, somethings we may not understand but everything is a blessing from you, whether good or bad. You desire for us to be kings and queens and reign over our own. We cannot do this without you Lord, we need your guidance and strength to make it through each day. We know it won't be easy, but you are there to usher us through. All we have to do is trust you and be open to change. Give us the desire and the burning sense of urgency to correct ourselves and do right by our families. The babies deserve so much more than we are giving them. Please help us now in Jesus' name. Amen.

Twilight Thoughts

Are our dreams prophetic visions from God or wishes our heart makes? I have this conversation often with friends of mine and we always try to interpret our dreams as they relate to our daily lives. However, the mystery is always the source of these dreams. Sometimes my dreams are so relevant its scary and other times I can't make head or tales of it. Is there a mystery to unlock?

As a child growing up watching Cinderella, I always believed that dreams were wishes my heart made and nothing more. It wasn't until I started listening to my mother talk about her dreams and how they always came true that I started to think differently. She believed God was talking to her through her dreams and warning her of ahead dangers just as he did in the Bible days. So which is it? Or is it a combination of both? If it is a combination, how do we know the difference?

Many people have written books on dream interpretation and believe that all dreams have meaning. Some people even assign lucky numbers to certain dreams. I still don't know how that is done. However, I also believe they have meaning but are they messages from God or manifestations of what we desire? Dreams have always been a mystery. Some scientists say you never dream in color but in black and white and that the body has several dreams during the course of the night but we don't remember them. However, I dream in color and I oftentimes remember my dreams, especially the significant ones.

Dreams can happen in one of two stages. 1) Dreams that predict the future. These dreams don't make sense to us most of the time, however as times goes by they reveal their significance. 2) Dreams parallel our lives at the time. Some of our dreams replay our lives and give us the ability to step back and view our actions. This could be God's way of having us step out of ourselves to see how we truly behave and what we should change.

Upon further pondering of this, I believe dreams are corrections from God in one way or another to make us better people. So many people say God speaks to us about what he wants us to know or do or say or not say. Dreams are a way of speaking to us because he does not speak audibly from Heaven, at least I have not heard this and I'm sure I would have. ( I just imagine God having a loud, booming voice). So in a sense dreams are both wishes and predictions because our desires and wishes come from God because HE controls all things. Yes he gives us free will but nothing happens without his permission, so all we do and all our steps are ordered by God. Kinda neat right?

So the next dream you have and remember, examine it, pray and try to discern just what message God is trying to give you. However, remember that Satan has the same access to our dreams and can send us smoke screens to alter our actions and convince us to take steps off of God's path. The important thing is to stay connected to God to prevent this and to be able to tell the difference. With that, dream away and let God lead you. Amen.

Sometimes Silence is Best.

The saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is a misstatement and an untruth. Words are powerful and everlasting. Powerful because they have the ability to excite someone or crush their dreams and everlasting because they get continuous play in the mind of the receiver. So keeping that in mind, it is imperative to be very careful of and take ownership over the words that are formed by our tongues and leave our mouths.

The tongue has the power to speak life, blessings, curses and death into the lives of others. You have the power to speak into existence the thoughts and feelings of your mind and affect the lives of those around you. With Power comes great responsibility. Our tongues are powerful and therefore garner great responsibility. The ol adage "Think before you speak." came into existence because once you say something you cannot take it back no matter how "sorry" you are you said it. Hearers of our words take them at face value and believe what they are hearing unless you are an established liar in which case you couldn't get people to believe you even if your tongue came notarized.

"Choose your words carefully" is another one. The words "I love you" are powerful in themselves. The way in which these words are perceived is significant. Most people just say "I love You" meaning they love you as friends, a great influence in their lives etc. However, between a couple the words "I love you" mean just that. You love me and want to be with me; we are committed to each other. Not I love you like a family member. Sometimes I think people say these words without realizing the impact they have on a person. They say these words with no regard to their meaning or impact. Some folks can just say it with no consequence because they could care less, but to the person hearing those words, it could mean their livelihood.

I had a guy tell me he loved me one time and I in turn told him back. When we spoke, which was several times a day, we continuously told each other we loved the other. We made what I thought was love and he just basically had sex. I felt one way and he another. Afterwards he explained to me that his " I love you's" were merely expressions of his friendship and caring for me, but in no way meant that he was actually "In love" with me. How devastating to hear. My heart broke and my spirit sank at the reality of me letting this man into my inner most being and him saying afterwards,"I didn't love you that way." Are you freaking kidding me? You didn't allow me the opportunity to make an informed decision about this intimate expression of "love".

The world does not revolve around us and we are not in this world alone, therefore our words will be heard by someone, if only God and he has a tendency to act on our words oftentimes giving us what we say we want. Another saying, "Be careful what you wish for, it just might come true," comes to mind. I could go on and on but I won't. I leave you with this, Don't say things you don't truly mean and mean what you say. It could mean life or death to someone else.

Who Said This Was Acceptable?

Okay, Okay, I'm as big a fan of individualism as the next person and I feel I have a great sense of fashion, but when did it become OK for a man to sport a perm and a mustache if their name isn't James Brown? Come on.... Have we been reduced to witnessing such atrocities on a daily? I went to the hair salon and one of the male stylists was rocking this same swagger. Did I miss something?

I remember when I met a young man in Atlanta one year, this brother had on makeup, a mustache and rocked a perm. My friend and I screamed with laughter. However, we got to know this person and realized he wasn't crazy just eccentric. His sense of style was wack but he was cool. I should have realized then that it was only the beginning of such fashion mayhem.

Is this the new look of gay America? I may be wrong for asking this question but I can't see a straight man rocking this style if he ain't on stage. Hell, even JB kept it masculine! Terrence Howard in Hustle and Flow kept it rugged! I'm afraid this freakish nature is becoming so popular that it isn't being seen as freakish at all, but normal.

Who knows maybe I'm behind the times. I'm gonna call and ask my man to sport this swagger and see what his reaction is. Chime in and tell me what you all think of this. Am I close minded or does this actually look good?