Dont Go Out Like the Monkey

 

 

 

There was a certain tribe that had a ritual of eating monkey brains. In order to eat the delicacy, someone from the tribe would need to catch a certain monkey. The type of monkey that the tribe was after was really quick; able to evade capture by with the speed and agility of a gymnast. Since catching the monkey on foot was out of the picture, the tribe built a cage out of bamboo sticks and placed a shiny, metal object in the cage. The trap was set; all that was need was for the monkey to take the bait. After numerous hours of waiting, the hunters heard a rattle, coming from the cage.   It seemed the monkey had stuck his hand in between the bars and was trying to pull the shiny metal piece out, but the metal piece was too wide. The hunters approached the monkey, who was fixated on getting that shiny piece of metal. Sad to say, those hunters had monkey brains that night.

At first I felt bad for the monkey, wondering how people could be that cruel and savage. But after some reflecting on the circumstance, I realized that the hunters never caught the monkey! The monkey was not inside of the cage; he just wouldn’t let go of the shiny piece of metal that was in the cage.

As I pondered on my life, I noticed that I’m just like the monkey in some areas of my life. There are some people and things in my life that should not be there, but since I’ve continued to hold on, I’ve taken a beating. It could be a vice, friend, employment or a relationship, but if it’s costing you to take a beating physically, emotionally and mentally, Let It Go. Just as sure as we’re entering 2015, and letting go of 2014, Let Go of ANYTHING or ANYONE who brings out the worst in you. As we work on the skill of Letting Go, stay encouraged and I’ll see you at the finish line. May God’s Blessings overtake you as you start Letting Go.



Intimacy by Marvin James

I can remember at age 9, I was curious about sex

At age 10, I was dry humping, you know, the “oochie coochie”

At age 12, I wanted some vagina

At age 13, I got some vagina

From age 13-40, I kept getting vagina

But what I really wanted was for someone to love me for me. Sounds good Huh? In order for me to be loved by someone, I needed the courage to be vulnerable.

The problem with that was for my whole life, my concept of being a man was the inability to show weakness or vulnerability. Get this, for discipline my uncles would punch me in the chest and say, “You better not cry!” As if I would crack a wider smile with every blow to my chest. I was having sex but wanted to be loved; not for what I did or had, but for me! What I wanted was INTIMACY

So at age 40, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life; which was to be vulnerable. For the first time in my life, I allowed another human to look into me. Was it hard? Yes because what if they left me? What if what they saw, was a complete turnoff? What if what they saw, was more dysfunctional than anything they ever saw? What if what they saw, was me being inadequate in all facets of being a man? BUT, would the chance at being loved for nothing other than being me, be worth the risk? The answer was, YES and for the first time, my wife was able to look IN-To-Me- See; or let me put it another way; I experienced Intimacy

The Cost of A Dream by Marvin James

The Cost of A Dream!
As 2015 approaches, what would you attempt to do, if you knew you counldn't fail?

Keeping up with The Joneses by Marvin James

Well Well, now that Christmas is over, we can get to the next big day which is New Years. I’m going to keep it real, I’ve already began my thought processing for what lofty resolutions I could come  up with. The first one is to quit smoking because I’m not getting any younger and I would like to see my kids for a while longer; also it wouldn’t be bad to grow old with my wife. The second resolutions would have to be, keeping my word; if I say, “No” then I mean No. By the way, I’m really considering eating healthier, which means so long to Popeye’s Chicken. One that my wife and I will definitely be working on is saving more money.

As I began to look at my list of items that I would like to work on; I noticed that all of them share one major common thread; there all external. You see, what difference does it make if I have thousands in my bank account but my insides are bankrupt? Honestly, I’m like many others who want to work on the things that other people see and judge me on. I heard my man Bizzle say, “What good is your status, when your trash on the inside, and your heart is full of malice?” Maybe instead of watching those calories, our families would benefit more from us watching those lustful, selfish, destructive thoughts and desires that run through our mind on a daily basis. Sometimes I’m more concerned with what other people think than what God thinks. It’s a typical case of “Keeping Up with the Joneses”. I am more worried about seeming less important socially than others are. Maybe if I was as concerned about what God thought instead of what people thought, I wouldn’t have been a felon, alcoholic, absentee father and a host of other unspeakable, voluntary characters.

 So here it is, my resolution for 2015; SURRENDERING TO GOD!  GIVING UP THE RIGHT TO CONTROL MY LIFE. PLAYING THE BACKGROUND TO THE ONE WHO MADE ME FROM THE GROUND.

Delayed but not Denied by Marvin James

As we did our last bit of shopping, running frantically through the stores, I must admit that my attitude took a nosedive. I went from, “Deck the halls” to “”Let’s get the H.E. double hockey stick out of here.” Yeah, I had a poor attitude but as I saw my wife orchestrate the rapping of gifts and the kids helping with little resistance, my heart melted. Especially seeing the 9 month old (Ariana) trying to rip open all the gifts. I took in the scene and thought, “I’m the Man!” But as quick as that thought popped into my head, another flow of thoughts shot through that said, “What about your two oldest children in Indiana?” “You cant feel good about yourself without being with them.” “Celebrating what?” “How can this be Merry Anything if you haven’t seen your other 2 daughters in over 2 years?” “Now let’s keep it real; your grandmother would have loved to spend the holiday with you.” So on and so on these thoughts bombarded me, until I was left feeling lower than a whale's turd.  As I was preparing myself to have an old fashion Pity Party, I hear these words,  “Delay is not Denial.” Just because life isn’t panning out according to my expectations, doesn’t mean things wont pan out. The truth is that I’m Delayed from what I want but not Denied from what I want. A Delay doesn’t mean, “No” but “Wait”. Its what you do while you’re waiting that determines the result. Did you know complaining, grumbling and arguing were sins? (Philippians 2:14). You see, if you are in your Delay and allow complaining, whining and arguing to run your circumstance, you wont be Denied but Derailed. What I mean by Derailed is being somewhere other than your intended destination. Start thanking God in your Delay, signifying that things might not be the way you want them, but they will pan out for your good. Have A Merry Christmas and an Amazing New Year.

 

From our family to yours, Success is in your hands!

Keep It Moving

 

Have you ever thought, “Things would have been different if I was born in another family?” How about, “If I would have gone to college, I would be shining too”. This is the one that I am most fond of, “If I could just find the right person, my life would be great”. When it comes to you; believe me, there was no mistake! We are born at the right time, in the right place and in the right family. When it was time to activate your purpose, God decided to give you a body. All of your experiences play a role in the person you are today. I like the acronym, K.I.M., which stands for Keep It Moving. God says in I Thessalonians 5:18- give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. So As a BELIEVER; notice I put believer in bold, what you have, are and will go through, is filtered through God's Amazing Love! Just knowing that, makes me want to K.I.M. Your best friend turns out to be hateful, K.I.M. Your boss decides to look over all your hard work, to promote a rookie; K.I.M. Your spouse has become your worst fan/best critic, K.I.M. The day started off on a negative note; K.I.M. Feeling a little isolated at work, because you dont want to be part of the gossip committee; K.I.M. The kids are acting like aliens; K.I.M. As a Child of God, you can K.I.M. because your Father has never had a case opened with C.P.S!

BUT if you are not a BELIEVER, then you cant afford to K.I.M. A life without God means that you are the ultimate authority in your life. You are governed by your emotions, will and intellect, while your spirit is offline. There is a inner hunger that you cant quite satisfy. You have tried to put all types of STUFF and PEOPLE all around you, but still find yourself EMPTY. I heard it said, "At least poor people have a false hope of, making more money will make things better," "Because what do all the rich folk do once they max out in this world, and still are empty inside?" The year is coming to a close but you are still full of potential. In 2015, Let this be your battle cry, "K.I.M." Keep it moving.  Have a Merry Christmas! I look forward to celebrating your success.

Was A Savior Born?

I must confess that I get a little depressed around Christmas time in Phoenix, AZ. I usually get in the Christmas spirit, watching Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch stole Christmas and I could not forget my homeboy Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. The kids really get a kick out of putting the tree up and the lights, so for the most part, our family conforms to the commercial side of Christmas. What gets me is that I really try to be the “Holiday” type of person but when Christmas time comes, I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone because the weather is not congruent with the season. I will go outside and see my neighbor firing up his grill, wearing flip flops and shorts; but inside of my home, we’re singing, “Jingle Bells”.

So I decided to get back to the essence of the holiday Christmas by focusing on a Savior being born in a manger. To be honest, that wouldn’t have been the way I would make a grand entrance. For starters I would have come as a grown man; instead of having flawed people dictate my movements throughout childhood. I definitely would of chose a family line like the Kennedys, so we wouldn’t have to worry about room availability, just build a resort with a full hospital staff. Now the manger! As they say on ESPN, “Come on Man!” Just the smell alone would have killed me; but aint no way my mama would of allowed any visitors in that barn. We have to much pride than to let someone see us living like that. But just maybe God had something in mind with this method. What I don’t think he had in mind was making pagan store owners rich by establishing a religious day to acknowledge the birth of His Son.

Indulge with me into my madness for a minute. What if Christmas could be celebrated all throughout the year? Since Christianity is not a religion but a Relationship we experience with God, what if we have missed the meaning? Luke 2:11 Reads;
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Im not knocking the idea behind celebrating, buying gifts and hanging around the dinner table, eating way too much; I understand the idea but the Spirit behind Christmas for me is personal. The day Christ was born in my manger of a heart is and will be Christmas for me. My heart was similar to a manger, “Not the top of the line” for a Savior to reside in. My heart also had different types of animals lodging there and some are still there. This Dec.25th, I would like to submit  this to you; has a Savior been born in your heart? 

The "Dash"

 

            There was a young man, who was incarcerated at a federal facility; having a conversation with another male who was also incarcerated. The other male was an older gentleman, who had been down for so long that he didn’t know what a microwave was. Alot of the inmates called the older gentleman, “Sage” because he always had a wise saying. The conversation went like this;

Sage: Hey Shorty, I got a question for you.

Shorty: What up old man?

Sage: Have you ever been to a cemetery?

Shorty: Yeah, but where you going with this?

Sage: What do all cemeteries have in common?

Shorty: Man, I don’t know!

Sage: Just think for a minute and answer the damn question!

Shorty: Alright OG, They all have dead people, sarcastically smirks

As the two men part ways, the Sage leaves shaking his head.

Two months later, the two men are in the yard; but the last person that Shorty wants to rap with is Sage. The Sage sees Shorty and yells, “Shorty!”

Shorty comes over reluctantly to where the Sage was sitting and says, “You again OG? I thought you would have croaked by now.

Sage: Have you thought about the question I asked you?

Shorty: What question?

Sage: What do cemeteries have in common?

Shorty: Alright, Alright; they all have dead people

Sage: Now you’re thinking, what else?

Shorty: I don’t know! Just tell me!

Sage: They all have head stones and on those head stones are some numbers to the left, that mark the date that individual came in this world. They also have some numbers to the right that mark the date that individual left from this world. But in between those numbers, there is about a 2 inch dash! That dash represents everything that person has done in life. Every failure, every accomplishment, every sadness, every success, every heartbreak and every moment of love.

Shorty: That’s deep OG, but what does have to do with me?

Sage: Shorty, since you’re standing in front of me, it’s safe to say you’re still alive; and if you’re alive, you don’t have the numbers to the right. Shorty you are in your Dash

Big Things Poppin

Big Things Poppin

If everything starts with a thought, what are you thinking about? Small minded thinking rarely includes others but focuses on I and me; while big minded thinking focuses on we and us. Big thoughts have the capacity to look past immediate circumstances in order to see the big picture; while small thoughts fixate on the snap shot, instead of the whole picture.

Genesis 25:21-23(NIV) reads; Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”  What were Isaac’s thoughts about the situation? He was concerned about his wife being childless; so much so that he prayed to God about it. Isaac didn’t go put his wife on blast, belittling her for not giving him a child. Isaac didn’t go find another woman to sleep with, to increase his chances of having a child. As a husband, I could learn a lot from Isaac’s response to a need; which is to pray. As a man, it can be downright humbling to ask for help; especially when you’re designed to be a provider. I have heard it said that, “When a man is in difficulty and has tried every other means of escape, only then will he pray”.  At this point the couple’s thought was to have a child but let’s look at God’s thought about the situation. The Lord said, “Two nations are in your womb”. The couples thinking is to birth a child but Gods thinking about birthing a Nation!  You can’t survive with an 8 track mindset in a high tech society.

Follow the Manual!!

I must admit that I am kind of an "Old School" type of fellow. I don’t like change to often; which would explain why I was very reluctant to purchase a smart phone. After seeing our 8yr old son (Malcolm) navigates on a smart phone, I thought, "If this 8 yr old can use a smart phone, I need to get with the program". So I went down to the T-Mobile store and simply stated that I wanted to purchase a smart phone. I could see the Sales Representative lick his chops; knowing that I didn't know anything about a smart phone at all. Me being a man, I made sure that I chimed in on every comment the Sales Representative made, regarding the features on an LG smart phone. I wasn't going to let this Sales Representative know that I was completely ignorant when it came to using a smart phone. After the sales representative went over the features on the LG about 4 times, I felt confident enough that I purchased the smart phone. Well for the first month that I had my smart phone, I didn't once think of looking through the manual that came with the phone. Let me tell you, I couldn't tell what the difference was from my old phone and this high priced smart phone. I mean, I was able to text message, and had caller ID; which were the same features I had on my old phone. It wasn’t until I took the time to read the manual that I learned what my smart phone could really do! Remarkable, I could tweet, email, make videos and download my favorite songs. I couldn’t believe what this phone could do; and just think, my eyes were opened by simply reading the manual.

What an incredible analogy; some people live their life, barely getting by. Knowing that there is more to this life than what there’re currently experiencing; but have done the same thing for so long that the mindset of, “I’m just trying to live”, has become the goal. In order for you to live the life you were created for, you will need to read the manual. We were created by God at the right time, in the right place and in the right family. There is so much potential inside of you, that there is a good chance that you and I will take some of it to the grave with us. I don’t know about you, but I want to live and live more abundantly. The only way I can experience the life God purposed me for, is to read the Manual. The Word of God (Bible), gives us clear instructions on how we are to live and reinforces God’s love for you and me (John 3:16). Why run around, living on 20% of your capability, when there’s a manual to instruct us on how to function at our maximum? READ THE MANUAL!  

Stop Marching for Change and Become the Change

Do you see all the protesting around the nation? I think it is a GREAT thing to see average people bond together for a cause that is not a, “Black thing", a “Racial thing", but a "JUSTICE thing". My heart cries for every mother that has lost a child; especially to the authority figures who are suppose to “Protect” their young lives. In some neighborhoods, these young men do not have the luxury that some of us had; such as, taking candy from the store, throwing buckeyes at cars and getting a butt-whipping when we got home. An Ass whooping was the worst that we had to worry about, but in some of these communities, young black men are preyed upon to violate ANY law, so that one who is an authority figure, can re-establish a mindset that was taught as a child; “You gotta show them niggers who’s the boss”. With that last statement, I’m not throwing the baby out with the bath water, to say that every white policeman is a racist. There are some white cops who legitimately, have honor regarding the oath they took to serve and protect.   

                That leads me right back to the protesting; what is the protesting really for? Not for Trevon, nor Mike or Eric, because no matter what comes from all these protests; mothers won’t get their children back. So maybe the protest is about Change in the corruption that lays embedded in the judicial system. This is where I believe a community has to be willing to Change. You might say, “Why should we have to change when it’s us being targeted, us being shot and us being killed?” In order to Change the system that has been corrupt, we must be willing to acclimate ourselves into the system. For that to happen we will need to take a hard stance! We will need to start with the Uncle Toms that are getting rich from representing a stereotype that does not properly reflect our community; nor does it serve as a sign of hope, but a reminder of the insane idea that it's OK to believe that certain ethnicities are inferior to others. Look at how far we have progressed; from Martin Luther King having a dream of freedom to portraying that thuggin is manhood. From watching our wives get raped by the plantation owner and not being able to do a thing; to pimping our women out to any man with a need. How are we going to get mad at the stereotype without getting mad at the one that they get the stereotype from? Oh by the way, there are a lot of young black men that are not pitching crack, there are some black men that are lawyers, doctors, judges and good law abiding citizens. The law enforcement agencies that police different communities need to be willing to be culturally sensitive to the many neighborhoods they serve. Our Latino neighborhoods need Latino Officers. Our African American communities need to be served by African Americans and so on and so on. Any agency that does not reflect the people that it is suppose to serve, has not and will not be effective. I say that because, even if race didn’t play a part in Michael Brown being killed; it sure played a part in the type of interaction that took place between the police officer and him.

                Certain minority groups have known for decades that the police could respond to certain ethnicities, with a personal stance that was drilled in them by their parents or the media. In order to put everything as close as we can to a level ground; Mindsets have to change! We will need to go from not being able to trust the police, to becoming the police. I’m afraid that if we continue to complain about injustices instead of being part of justice; history will continue to repeat itself. In conclusion, If you are not willing to be a cop, just sit back, relax and let them continue to issue out their justice. THINK ABOUT IT!

No Money Mania (Part II)

Part II  

My problem was not having money; it was what I did with the money, which was determined by what I thought about money. There is nothing more frustrating than to make a decent yearly income and struggle from check to check. The problem was not my employment, money or the economy; my problem was with what I thought about money. So to fix my crisis, I would get a part time job and make a little more cash but the results were the same; with the exception that I was extremely exhausted and broke. I can remember coming home from work one night and having a conversation with my wife about finances. One statement that I remember making to my wife was, “I don’t need more work, I’m tired after one job; I need more money”.

Now here is the remedy for No Money Mania!
I wish I could tell you that the remedy is convienient, easy or comes with immediate gratification but it doesn't. Have you ever heard the saying, "Time is money?" Well this is not just a saying; it really is the truth; you see, most individuals that are employed, get paid by the hour. For the majority, a company will say that an hour of your time can be compensated by a dollar figure that you agree to accept. For instance; let's say that I'm working for a company that pays me $20/Hr. Let's say I decide that I want to take a trip to the mall and look at purchasing a watch. I go into a store and there is a watch that catches my eye. I can already picture this Movado watch on my wrist, as I motion the sales associate over to me; in order to try the Movado piece on. Its a perfect fit! I roll up my left sleeve and strike a nonchalant pose; as if I'm modeling. I've mentally made the purchase already; all thats left is for me to identify the price. The sales associate informs me that the damage will be $1,200. Sure I have the money because it is payday BUT Time is Money. My next move is to incorporate logic into the equation so I ask myself the question, "How long does it take for me to generate $1,200? At the rate of $20/Hr, it will take me 60 working hours to make $1,200. If I'm willing to work for this jewerly store for 60 hours and at the conclusion of my employemnt, be OK with them compensating me with a Movado watch, I'll make the purchase. I can tell you right now, that Movado watch will get awful dusty if it's waiting on me to take it home. Before you make your next pruchase, ask yourself, how many hours will it take for me to make the price amount? If the item isn't worth your time, then it is safe to say that, "The item is not worth your hard earned money.


 

No Money Mania

No Money Mania (Part I)

 

My wife and I were having a conversation regarding money, budgeting and spending. Ok, maybe it wasn’t a conversation but more along the lines of an argument. I was adamant that she didn’t understand the point I was attempting to make and she was determined to enlighten me about our spending as she unraveled a bunch of crumbled receipts that were in her purse. As she went through the receipts and calculated the sum of those receipts, I began to realize that we were spending just as much money as we both made. So this conversation or shall I say argument was not about money; it was about being broke. Who likes being broke or living paycheck to paycheck? I truly believe no one enjoys scrambling to pay bills or even worse; borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. This was the way we lived for years and I always came to the same conclusion; “We need more money!”

          One morning while getting ready to live inside of someone else’s thought (going to work), I asked my wife how much money did we have. She stated that we had about $150. My next statement was, “We need to make that $150 last until payday”. I know that I’ve made that statement numerous of times in my life but for some reason it just stuck in my mind. As I couldn’t shake it, I pondered as to where that thought came from and the answer was, it came from my mind. What I thought about money displayed itself in how I used money. You see, the statement, “We need to make that $150 last until payday” sounded like I wanted to be responsible but the logic behind that statement was, “We only have a certain amount of time in order to spend that $150!”

          What I discovered about myself was that I was suffering from a common mental infection called “No Money Mania”. The symptoms were obvious; normal sleep when broke, inadequate rest while there was money, feelings of entitlement(I work so I can buy what I want), conditional depression when there’s no money, eating out on payday but packing whatever I could find days before the next payday because I was broke. Other symptoms included; episodes of mania when there was money in our account, taking payday loans, title loans, pawning items and the infamous, dodging bill collectors. Since we struggled most of the time, you can imagine what happened when we came across a lump sum of money; we would spend it. My wife and I could go through five thousand dollars in a weekend and justify this sick mindset by telling each other this simple phrase, “We don’t ever get to spend money on ourselves, so it’s ok if we spend every last cent this time”. I came to the conclusion that it didn’t matter if I had five thousand or a million dollars, I would always end up broke. Part II Tomorrow

Ladies, Work with your Seed

I have come to the conclusion that my sisters have a unbelievable talent or gift. My sisters, I must admit that God has blessed you all with being able to see the "Finished Product" . What I mean is that most women are able to date a man and during that time, are able to see that man as "The Man" or "The knight in shining armor". Go ahead and admit it ladies; this gift is so amazing and strong that it enables most women to down right ignore any potential Red Flags. I believe the reason God has given you this gift is not to Manipulate, Scheme or attempt to mold a man into the "Finished Product" but to inspire, strengthen, and motivate you when you decide to settle down in a committed relationship and realize that you didnt get the "Finished Product" but a Seed. Thats right, a seed and this is where some of my sisters flip out, get bitter and down right nasty. Some fester with resentment, feeling as if they were cheated and hoodwinked; because afterall, they were allowed to see the "Finished Product". So what do you do when you get your Seed ladies? That is the question every woman must answer because your action or lack of action will determine how close your seed comes to the "Finished Product". Ladies you will need some patience when dealing with your seed, because afterall; you dont see a farmer plant a seed on Monday and on Tuesday expecting or demanding a harvest. You will need to speak to your seed as if it is already ripe for the harvest. The worst thing that you can do, PLEASE HEAR ME; is leave your seed for another "Finished Product", only to find out months later, that you still got a Seed.

There is an Economy Inside you

About several months prior to starting this book, I was unmotivated and starting to fall into a depression. At first I couldn’t put my finger on the reason why I was feeling depressed. I discussed the matter with my wife but the both of us could not come to any conclusion as to why. The way I was feeling didn’t make any sense because I had a good job, a nice home, beautiful wife and kids; plus a book in the progress of being published. I attempted to dialogue with some of my pastor partners and found that they were clueless about what I was going through. When religious folk can’t relate to what you’re going through, the answer is always the same; “Ask God about what you’re going through”. Sometimes when I was told that statement, I just wanted to sock them in the mouth. But for some strange reason, I did exactly what they said and what I found out was the reason I was depressed. The Lord showed me that He had given each person a primary gift; not to mention, some secondary gifts also. Through the primary gift that God has given to each person, there is an economy inside of the gift. This gift that God gives to a person is not earned, nor can it be taken away, Romans 11:29. Since God does not take these gifts away, a person can utilize these gifts even if they don’t know God. What does a business entrepreneur look like, who uses his gift but does not know the Lord? He can look like a drug dealer, the CEO of Girls Gone wild, or a corrupt worker for Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae.  What does a person look like who has the gift of charisma and influence, but does not know God? This one can be tricky because some of these gifted people have put on the holy cloak and infiltrated the church as a minister, a bishop or pastor; when in actuality they are nothing more than pimps.

            If there is an economy inside of each person; as well as gifts, what would be the barrier that hinders a person from birthing this economy? Even though God will not take the gift away; if you don’t position yourself in a way to understand His thoughts regarding the gift, this economy will not come. Does that make God a mean God? Absolutely not because if you aren’t able to get in tune with His thoughts in order to birth an economy, utilizing the gift; God still gives a person His grace that allows for an individual to acquire the skills to work inside of another person’s economy. Lets recall Moses, when he began to feel the hardship of his fellow brothers; his thought was to kill a single Egyptian. That was Moses’ thought, which led to him fleeing the scene as a criminal; but when Moses got in tune with God’s thoughts, he drowned an entire army of Egyptians and left as a hero.

           

Its time to change

The recent decisions of the grand jury to not bring certain authoritiy figures to trial, has screamed to the public that, "Something is wrong". For starters, I will say that the value of a black life far outweighs a pack of skittles, an ice tea, blunts and tobacco. America has witnessed for decades the cry of injustice and has basically responded with a politically correct way of saying, "Just suck it up". Should America be a nation where the citizens cannot trust the people appointed to serve and protect their streets? Contrary to popular belief, i dont believe it is a Black thing, a Hispanic thing or a White power issue. I stand my ground that for too long, we have had authority figures patrolling neighborhoods that are not represented by the law officials that swore an oath to protect and serve that community. Maybe it's time to step back and reexamine the different cultures that makeup the melting pot of America. If a city is predominately African American, why shouldn't law enforcement be a reflection of that community? After all, in the corporate world we do understand that we must adhere to cultural differences. Just think about this; if a black police officer would of had interaction with Michael Brown, would the officer been able to relate differently to the subject, than an officer who did not have a good rapport with the community? From personal experience, when I have been exposed to a culture that my only insight into that culture has been from what the media protrays; I have found that i have leaned on the images that I have been spoon fed from the multiple media outlets. By the way, certain ethnicities have been programmed to not trust authority figures (Police), so those ethnicities shun the very idea of becoming part of the law enforcement (Police). As a result, we have deferred playing a role as being part of the change, by becoming the ones who patrol our neighborhoods; which has once again, left individuals to patrol certain communites that without good relations, paint a picture of authority without relations as , "Us vs Them mindsets". For example, I might appear to be a thug selling crack to one officer, because i have a hoodie on, with baggy pants; but to another officer i might look like a kid trying to be cool. Those two different perspectives can be the difference between how that interaction between the two officers play out. In conlcusion, My Life is worth the time it takes to first, understand where I've come from, where I'm currently at and a conversation to express where it is i aspire to go. 

Must Read, Brain Food

What are you thinking about? http://the411withmarvinjames.blogspot.com/2014/12/for-as-he-thinks-in-his-heart-so-ishe.html

What are you thinking about?

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. He says to you, “Eat and Drink! But his heart is not with you. Proverbs 23:7 (NLV)

 

            I can remember as a senior in high school, I didn’t have a desire to attend college, or enroll into a trade school; as a matter of fact, I didn’t have a desire for anything at the time. All I knew is what I heard from other people, which was, “If you want to be somebody, you have to get an education”.  Since getting a higher level of education was not on my agenda; according to what I had heard, I was a nobody. With the thought of being a nobody, I did what some of my peers chose at the time, which was enlisting into the Armed Service. I joined the Marine Corps and went to basic training and boy was I in for some shock treatment. Within minutes of arriving at boot camp, I was standing on some yellow footprints with about 35-40 other young men. We were herded into a building and ordered in a very diplomatic way to take off the clothing we came wearing and strip down to our birthday suit. Yeah right! There was nothing diplomatic about it; the Drill Instructors yelled, screamed, cursed and belittled each and every one of us. As I stood there naked looking at the clothing I came there wearing being put in a bag; it was like saying goodbye to whoever I thought I was and hello to a part of me I never knew. And hairstyles wasn’t an issue because every person received a 1-2 minute, deluxe baldhead; compliments of the barber who gave 40-50 of these haircuts a night. For the next three months of boot camp, I was broken down physically, emotionally and psychologically; in order to become one of “The few, the proud, The Marines”. Looking back at becoming a Marine, it started with the drill instructors rejecting my thoughts on who I thought I was and strongly motivating me to accept their thoughts of who they told me I am. So the whole transformation from a United States civilian to a United States Marine was simply a trading of thoughts. It wasn’t a trading of dollars, cars, popularity or favors; all it took was the trading of thoughts. I’ve come to the realization that thoughts control everything! For example; take a look around your living environment, whether it’s an apartment, cell block, house, dormitory or homeless shelter and what do you see? You may see people, furniture, a tv, particles of yesterday’s meal, pictures on the wall, carpet, tile and etc. If you look a little more intently you might notice windows, walls, a ceiling, blinds, different rooms and the overall structure of the building. Every item that I have listed, plus the ones you’ve noticed are children of someone’s thoughts. The structure of your home, whether it is a two level, bi-level or half a level was a thought birthed in the architect’s mind. The next time you walk around your living environment, take a moment and realize that you are literally walking in someone’s thought. The next time you pay your mortgage or rent, take a moment to understand that you are currently paying for someone’s Past Thought!  The thought of designing your home could have been completed 20 years ago and that same thought is still cashing in!

Plan "A" Thinkers

It is a Tuesday night, I’m sitting in the living room listening to my wife and daughter have their daily girly hour of power. Since im not a girl, I sit on the couch and act as if I’m not hearing a word. Our family pet Roxy seems to realize that there is no attention being paid to her so she starts to behave in a way that warrants immediate attention. She starts by pacing back and forth and then Roxy goes over to my wife and starts to nibble on her arm. As you might expect, the girly hour of power is over and Roxy is now getting all the attention she can handle. It might not be the attention she wanted but none the less, she is getting attention. I know this might sound sort of weird but I actually wondered if Roxy’s plan was to get attention; she accomplished her plan. She might need to work on deciding what type of attention she gets, but that girl got her some attention. Now that’s a Plan A! As I thought about how my pet was able to accomplish her Plan A, I couldn’t help but to wonder the times I’ve either got tired, quit, made an excuse, or aborted my Plan A and resorted to another plan, which really wasn’t a plan at all; just something I thought of to take my mind off of my Plan A. I’m willing to bet that there have been many times in your life, which your Plan A was left in the dust. Maybe there were obstacles that seemed insurmountable, not enough support, or the timing wasn’t right that prevented you from laboring with Plan A. If you’re reading this right now, you are a recipient of two people who hung in there and made you their Plan A. I say that because chances of getting pregnant from having one sexual experience are less than 12%. That means most people have to practice at having a baby unless they fall into that 12%. Not only did your parents make you their Plan A but they kept you as their Plan A. Please don’t take this wrong but society had a Plan B for you as soon as your father’s sperm hit your mother’s egg. That Plan B was called, “The Morning After Pill” or The Abortion Clinic.