Love and Light

Embrace your moments
They are over far to fast
Create loving memories
That will forever last
Laugh away your clouds
Attract positive energy
Celebrate yourself
And all humanity
Now this may be harder
But to everyone…try to forgive
Remember it matters not
How we died…but how we lived
So sprinkle that sunshine
Through your smile and grace
You were born from greatness
It’s written all over your face
So enjoy your day
With all your might
May your life be filled with love
And your heart with light
I Love you !

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For My Ladies

Good Morning My Ladies,
Forgiveness is important
It restores our soul
It gives us strength
However……
If we do not forgive ourselves…
How can we genuinely
Forgive anyone else?
There is an old Afrikan proverb that tells us
Never trust a man who gives you a shirt
When he is wearing none
Forgive YOU
No matter what you may have done
We all deserve THAT kindness
We all deserve THAT kind of love
This morning, before you start your day…
Extend that white flag…to yourself
It’s okay…
YOU MATTER
And no matter what anyone else tells you
YOU ARE VALUABLE
Treasure YOU
Love yourself…
Watch how it encourages others to love you, as well
It is a true honor…just knowing you
GET TO KNOW YOURSELF
Keep in mind that NO MAN can give you
SELF WORTH
Treat yourself…to SELF LOVE
Watch your smiles multiply
My hope for you on this beautiful Friday…
Is that you will see the beauty in yourself…
That I see and appreciate in each one of you

I LOVE YOU ALWAYS

Dear George

Dear George,

I am writing this today, because I can no longer bite my tongue. I thought I could remain silent after the trial…but I see that I cannot; not after watching your video. I understand it must be difficult when you feel like the whole world doesn’t know you and you are being judged. It must be difficult trying to find employment and real friends; but since you don’t seem to understand it…I wanted to sit down with you a moment and try and make sense out of it.

…It was a rainy night; not too much rain…but just enough that the teenager had difficulty seeing things clearly. It was just a snack; something to hold him over throughout the night…not a big deal. As he left the store, he put his hood on, so he wouldn’t get wet. His mom was always getting on him for going out in the rain and waking up sick the next day. Since he was at his dad’s house, he didn’t want his mom to get mad at him too.

He looked up and noticed a vehicle that seemed unfamiliar. It drove slowly by; maybe he thought I was someone he knew… the child said to himself. He called his best friend joking with her and noticed the SUV driving past again; he made a sidebar joke with his bestie…and kept walking. He begins to get nervous; the vehicle rides past again slowly…looking…lurking…yet no word is spoken.

The child’s heart starts beating faster. His mouth salivating, as his nervousness increases. He must make sure that this person isn’t after him; so he runs down random streets to try and lose him. Again the mysterious vehicle follows him. He knows that he could run straight to his dad’s house and be safe, but then the stranger would know where he lived and worse where his family lived.

His palms begin to get sweaty; he knows that this guy needs to confront him…these situations never turn out good. The man gets out of the vehicle and starts to approach. You could hear the voice on the cell phone screaming…as the phone fell to the ground…Trayvon, Trayvon…are you there?…

 

George, I know you have your own version of what happened that night…and unfortunately, your version is the only one that we will know.

I watched you in court. I looked for a person who was truly sorry for what happened. I sought a person who felt that the killing of a teenager was a horrible outcome of this story. I did not find that person in your eyes.

You stated recently that people don’t know the real you; and that other than what they have seen in regards to this case, they don’t know you…at all. You even stated, in defense of the, “He’s a racist”, claim; that you had been mentoring a black child. I hope that you understand what an insult that is. I always find humor with people that say…”I’m not prejudiced…I have a black friend”. You would probably be better served to not do that again.

I do have some loving advice for you; as I feel compelled to reach out to you. Don’t get me wrong…regardless of what the state of Florida says…I think that you are guilty. I think that you should have been punished…someone died. That someone had a name, an address…he had a family and because of your actions…he also had a funeral.

I think that the largest injustice that was done, in your defense, was to make Trayvon Martin appear to be the assailant. The media and your legal team made an issue, out of the fact, that Trayvon had been suspended from school for having trace amounts of marijuana in his book back. They made issue out of the fact that he had tattoos. They made issue out of the fact that he had gold teeth and that he made a video showing gang signs. They even made issue out of the fact that Sabrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin’s mother, chose to use pictures of her son at an earlier age.

I digress…let’s get back to you and what is really important.

If you want the world to see you differently…stop signing autographs at gun shows. This does not say that you have any compassion or empathy for a nation that is mourning the loss of this child. Volunteer at a children’s shelter, read books to kids at a library, and show the world that you regret what you did.

It’s okay, you can’t be prosecuted again. Clear your soul…tell the truth. Do not write a book about how you have it so hard, because of the trial. You have it hard because you killed someone and the world noticed. You have it hard, because even you, don’t think that you are innocent…and your soul is torturing you.

Understand that your words…will not bring back that wonderful child. His family will miss him for the rest of their lives. And while you are making statements about living in poverty and having no friends…the Martin family…has one less place to set at dinner. They have to find a way to go on living without their son…while you still get to breathe.

You are still alive…I would offer to you this: make the most out of your moments. Do not spend an ounce of your day feeling sorry for your situation. Starting today do something different; stop looking out for George…and look out for someone else. Volunteer…or better yet; I would suggest that you go to a meeting for parents whose children have been killed. Stay and listen to their stories…let it soak in. Pray. I only hope, that in that prayer that you will really understand the brevity of what you have done. You will know if it did…because you will no longer be singing the “What about me” song.

I pray that our Creator will be merciful with you…in your growth. I cannot hate you…while my emotions may scream for it…I know that hate is something that my soul refuses to do. I do hate what happened. I pray every day that no other family will have to bury their child too soon. I pray that we realize that a tattoo, skin tone, and/or drug use…does not make any of this okay.

George, I will leave you with one more thought: In your journey for understanding…look deeper into yourself; work on the man that you want to become…and seek forgiveness. The anger and frustration you feel…does not come from any place other than within.

 

Peace be upon you

I Will

I Will
I will not give up today
No matter what transpires
My soul will march forward
Even when my body begins to tire
I will smile at Gods creation
Even if it doesn’t smile back
I will count all of my blessings
While the world tells me what I lack
I will keep on walking forward
While there are obstacles in my way
And when man says there is no hope
I will still continue to pray
I will look for the good in all
Whilst people acknowledge only the bad
And although you may want me to sit
I will continue making a stand
I will keep erecting bridges
Where people are torn apart
And even as you may think its over
I will tell you its barely begun to start
I will construct a chain of hope
Where some may break a link
I will smile and continue on my path
Before you get a chance to blink
I will smile in adversity
While staring at your fist
I will sing the praises of our Father
And the angels in our midst
I will love always my neighbor
While he may swear in my face
You may take my possessions
But never my Creator’s Grace
I will get back up and start over
Every time I do fall
I will be reminded of the tests
Which are placed on us all
I will talk about my Father
Hallowed be thy name
And while you may try my faith
The outcome is the same
I will ask God for forgiveness
Father they know not what they do
For while you may cast stones upon me
I will always pray for you
I will continue to spread joy
While man displays his hate
And I will submit to God’s will
And pray that before it’s too late
That you will see the light
Because the darkness tends to hide
The beauty you were born from
And the love you have inside
I will fail from time to time
As only real people do
But I will never give up on God’s will
How about you?

Your Future

Your Future

On this new day of forever

I ask that you put away

The greed…hatred

That has drowned your light today

I ask that you set aside

All the heartache and fear

I know they had their place

But we’ve no room for it here

For I want replace that clutter

With something more soluble

A life filled with promise

Divine love which is more valuable

Give back that frown

Grimace and such

For a look of peace

With a loving touch

Be reminded every moment

You are loved more than the last

Leave the negativity behind

It is now a thing of the past

Smile at the very moment

You decided to let it go

Water the love of God

Watch how it grows

I know where you are

I have been there too

It’s why I am delivering

This single message to you

Give love and be love

Every chance that you get

Your new life is aligned

YOU have love…you are set

So go on with your day

Setting aside the hostility

Open your heart and mind

There are endless possibilities

Remember that those who

Didn’t treat you right

Are walking in darkness

Where day is actually night

Smile my sweet angels

As only light beings are prone

I understand your struggle

You are not alone

Walk with me my dear ones

As I will be there for you

For I walk with a Source

I walk with the Truth

Take a stroll with me

See the delights along the way

Begin living in His light

For your future…starts today

But I Love You Anyway

But I Love You Anyway

 

The most difficult lessons we may ever learn, in this life, are the ones that break our hearts. I have personally endured such lessons. I have disappointed people; I have lost people that I love. I, like everyone else, have endured immeasurable grief.

 

When we grieve the death of a loved one, or the death of a relationship; we are not grieving for the one who we lost. We are grieving for ourselves. We are angry, hurt, disappointed and often infuriated; by the fact that; we are left to carry on. We must find a way to keep going; even when our hearts are on fire, with sorrow.

 

Someone I love once told me that when my sister died…it didn’t happen to me. She said that it affected me; and my sorrow was really over the fact that I had to find a way to move on. I didn’t want to believe her; and the fact that she was/is someone who I know wouldn’t hurt me, intentionally; I took the time to listen to her. I was angered by what she said. Of course it happened to me, MY sister died. It was at that point, when she stopped me. She said, “Say that again”. I repeated it was MY sister that died. The point I was trying to emphasize is that she was my sister, not hers; and how dare she say it didn’t happen to me? She said again in the softest voice…she died…you didn’t.

 

Tears started streaming out of my face; seemingly out of nowhere, I saw her point. I had to find the strength to move on; I was left alone to survive. The mere thought of that idea; to this day, makes me cry. I had to decide to move on; I had to decide…every day… to breathe in and out. I found this knowledge disturbing and it hurt. Not that I didn’t want to live; I’m not suicidal. But I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be a part of a world where my sister, my best friend…no longer breathed. I felt abandoned…I felt isolated and I was angry.

 

I felt justified in my anger; no one knew what it was like to love my sister, the way I did. I found a million ways to look at this situation; so that no one could effectively say…I know how you feel. I slowly realized; I created the isolation. People wanted to care; simply because they loved me…and I was hurting.

 

Anger is a funny thing; it can feel so good. Anger can burn longer than any candle you ever light, if we allow it to. Anger can fuel any negative fire that we may come into contact with. Anger will also destroy us.

 

Anger will keep us from forgiving others and it will keep us from being forgiven. Remember what I said in the beginning…everything is a lesson.

 

When we hold on to anger…we are only hurting ourselves. We are blocking our blessings; even when it isn’t our intention.

 

Sometimes I still get angry; when I think about my sister. I will get angry at the mere thought of her leaving me. I have even had conversations about it, with her.

 

But thankfully, I have a most gracious Creator. Even in moments when I feel like I deserve nothing; my Creator shines light on me and says, “But I love you anyway”.

 

We are surrounded by beauty and love; it can be found in everyone and everything.

 

People may say that is just hippy talk; how is a dandelion beauty and love…it is a weed!!

I love these moments. I smile and say, hold out your hands. When empty hands are held out; I will say…using only what is in your hands…make that weed.

 

The beauty and love, even in a dandelion, is the fact that it was created from Greatness. We were all created from Greatness; made to love one another. And when a life cycle ends, on earth, the memories we created with that person…has the miracle of eternal life.

 

There are people on the planet, who were not privileged enough to know my sister. I was blessed by her existence and her memories live through me. People are touched by her; through my writing or speech or actions. Her life truly is eternal.

 

My life was forever changed the day that my sister died. I miss her…every day of my life. There is a void that her death has given me; and I would be lying if I denied that. But it was her time to go Home; and while I don’t think she would have chosen it; she earned it. I know she watches over me now; and I’ m sure she is shaking her head, at times. But the true blessing, is knowing that no matter what I do; which she might not agree with…she will always meet me with an, “But I love you anyway”.

 

And don’t we all deserve those moments?

Find Humility

Find Humility

Another sweet child

We laid to rest

Humanity escaping

Another failed test

Failing to reach out

Failing to lift up

Another coffin

We helped to seal shut

Bruises …a reminder

Of the evils men do

Another crack

A child has fallen through

Only six years old

The violence we eject

Taken by a parent

Was supposed to protect

No excuse will do

It can not be made right

One less child of God

Will breath again tonight

IN after thought I know

This child is better today

No more possibility of abuse

Like ones from yesterday

Still I wiped away a tear

It fell from my eye

Could say I understand

But that would be a lie

Wasn’t wearing a hoodie

Not carrying a bag of skittles

Another unjustifiable killing

Of a soul…so little

Just violence that’s all

I don’t really care why

The hate we emit

Can no longer be denied

Another last breath taken

A life stolen in haste

Any regrets that are felt

Now seem in bad taste

After the smoke clears

The fire has burned out

All that is left is…why

Why did it come about?

Children are not little adults

Silence is not peace

Oh the sins we commit

Promises we don’t keep

When a stranger kills a child

They didn’t know them…we feel bad

But what can we say

When the murderer is their dad?

Can we say it was about race

Being outside when it was late

We didn’t know their intention?

NO…this was just about hate

Hatred of self

Hatred of the divine

The idea of alibi’s

Is all in your mind

I pray God can forgive

The evils of man

But we have to change

Take a firm stand

No matter whose child you touch

In my heart it’s an offense to me

You’re an insult to my God

To my tranquility

Do not raise your arm

To a child any more

You may win that battle

But will lose the war

An offense on a child

Is slapping God in the face

You are killing off

Our human race

Stand on alert

States kill men for less

The tables might be turned

You might be next

Love that child often

Be the being you should be

I pray that God will forgive us

And we find humility

 **I wrote this in memory of Afton Allison…a 6 year old child of God killed by his father…I hope you get to read the article about him**

~RIP Afton

Let It Grow

Let It Grow

The things we take for granted

Like breathing fresh air

The lessons we are afforded

To make us more aware

Experiencing the first light of day

The night’s first seen star

Are often clouded by judgments

Taking away from where we are

The sound of a newborn baby

An unexpected smile

Signs of God all around

Making life worthwhile

Fresh morning breezes

Cool mountain air

The touch of his hand

The smell of her hair

The things we overlook

When seeking reasons to hate

The blessings we step on

The hearts we do break

The boundaries we enforce

Creating reasons to step away

Rationalizing the thoughts

Finding reasons not to pray

Never seeking forgiveness

Making it harder to give

Building false expectations

Getting harder to live

When will we realize that we

Are being given another attempt

But are accountable for our actions

We are not love exempt

If you cannot find it in your heart

To reach out to a soul in need

What will happen to the children

Oh, the hate we do breed

We teach them indifference

How to worship material wealth

Forgetting about humility

What a hard hand they are dealt

For we are all given

Tools to pass along

So we will all be in tune

Singing the same song

Count your blessings I beg you

Be thankful for each one

Before they are stricken from you

And your time on earth is done

For when it all is said

Finished and then

You will think about could have’s

What might have been

Be proactive in your life

Grateful in your tones

Watch your demeanor

Stop casting verbal stones

For the cost of hate is large

More than you can afford

It can cost you salvation

Promised by our Lord

In closing I must tell you

So you will always know

Inside you have God’s love

It’s time to let it grow

The Walls Came Tumbling Down

The Walls came Tumbling Down

In the heat of the moment

In the still of the night

So many things go wrong

The blink of an eye

I’m sure in after thought

You would have complied stat

Are you following him?

We don’t need you to do that

A moment of thought

Could have made this just a debate

Now it’s up to the courts

To decide your life’s fate

A sad turn of events

A trip to the store

A child’s life

Will live no more

Oh we have the memories

Those precious moments in time

When he was laughing and loving

Remembering how he did shine

Anger will not change

What happened that night

But he was just a child

Keep that in your sight

No matter what we hold onto

When we think of his time

Was he a trouble maker

Or an angel of our mind

He was a child of God

He was created by Him

His life was ended

Due to a human’s whim

Why don’t we ask questions

Before acting it out

Oh the tragic results

When this comes about

Trayvon had a message

Even with his death

Even if it was only found

Upon taking his last breath

The message is clear

I hope we all one day can see

We are all important

Even someone like me

Someone who is loved by their parents

Someone who had a beautiful smile

Someone who, yes, was human

And got in trouble once in a while

Someone who had a future

Could have fallen in love

Was someone you could count on

When push came to shove

My race didn’t make me better

But God knows didn’t make me worse

But a decision made in haste showed

You acted before thinking first

I hope you one day understand

What really came about

Because there are parents now

Who are living without

I pray God will show us

The way to heal hearts broken

Before more angry actions are taken

While less words are spoken

For one thing is definite

Death cannot be undone

And grief is a morbid battle

Never can be won

So, Lord if you’re listening

As I write this down

Show us your grace before

The walls come tumbling down

 **IN conjunction with Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Awareness…we are happy to donate a portion of the proceeds from our book “The Light of Our Path” to the Atlanta Children’s Shelter

I Do Pray

I Do Pray

I watched your eyes today

Closely on the screen

I saw a child that we lost

I understand what that means

I wonder if we needed

To see your innocent look

So we could justify the anger

Over a life someone took

Did we need you to be a choir boy

Instead of a kid running the streets

Oh the implications we make

Of people we never meet

If you were in a gang war

Would your loss seem easier to us

Did we need to see your innocence

In order to justify the fuss

Did we need to make him look

Evil…a perpetrator as it were

So we could see him as vile

We could all seem more sure

But alas, we may never know

Who either were at that time

Only that a life was taken

It definitely was a crime

A crime against humanity

A crime against the truth

An altercation once again

Has stolen another youth

As for my part in this

I will sing the very same song

We have created nothing

And killing is always wrong

We can not justify the reasons

Or clarify the cause

If only we had taken a moment

To take a breath…to briefly pause

The world might not have swallowed

Another child this way

A funeral…a memorial

Lets bow our heads to pray

Father please forgive us for thinking

Any reason would be okay

To take a child’s last breath

Leaving a country in dismay

We have stopped looking for our Savior

No matter what the case

We have made it about hatred

We have made it about race

We failed to listen to your lessons

Love your fellow man

Be forgiving of your neighbors

As often as you can

And as a final result of this

Another young man makes no sound

Only the sobbing of a mother

Putting him in the ground

Forgive us Heavenly Father

We know not what we do

We were so busy playing God

We failed to look to you

Help us heal past the heartache

Show us the err of our way

So we can do better tomorrow

On my knees I do pray

**There are far too many children that end up this way…the victims of  violence. We must take a stand**

In doing our part, we are donating a portion of the proceeds of the sale of our book “The Light of Our Path” to the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, Inc