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 !
Tag Archive: forgiveness
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,
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 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
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
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
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
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
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 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
