He Who Laughs, Lasts

"Laughter is the closest distance between two people."
Victor Borge (1909-2000)

Joy and Laughter. What an amazing blessing. Imagine life without laughter. I love being around the joyfullness of infants. They have few worries. So fresh and new. Innocent and hopeful. I look forward to the day when I can sit with my baby and laugh. Life has been a little down for the last well, little while...but this video was awesomely helpful and well...much needed. I hope you enjoy it too...

20/20

“Cherish your vision and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.”
Napoleon Hill

Everyone pictures children as being nice, sweet kids, but they aren’t. We live naively not knowing the torment and cruelty that goes on. Harsh words and bullying are common. Fist fights are common as well. I am not a fighter by any means. Some people are more natural but it definitely is something that is developed with training like anything else in life. My first fight was with this punk David Brink, and man…I remember it vividly. Wow did I get my ass whooped that day. After sometime I learned a little more about fighting. I eventually was able to hold my own and he learned to find someone else to mess with...I will leave the details out but there was one important lesson I learned during that phase that can apply to life. The lesson was that in order to win, you must open your eyes. No matter how hard you swing, how fast and wild you fight or how much energy and stamina you have to last, without vision you have no chance in success or victory. You have to open your eyes and see where you are going in order to get there. So many times we go through life swinging wildly, aimlessly, thinking we are getting somewhere but lack the vision to know. We stand there getting hit with blow after blow after blow. Fat lips, black eyes and bloody noses. We know life hits hard and yet we continue to stand there fighting blindly. Open your eyes and see! Take a moment and get some vision. See where you want to be in 5 years and start developing an action plan. Take small steps that will get you there over time. Get a mentor to help guide you. Try Jesus. As time changes, so will your vision, always reevaluate it. Make sure you are on track. This is what helps you feel you have purpose in life. Otherwise, you will be alone wondering when you are institutionalized and crystallized from life’s glorious miracles.

Who do you really say Jesus is?

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me with so much."
Mother Teresa


We evangelize every day. Deliberately or not, consciously or not, we are evangelizers. The question is, what are we evangelizing about? What kind of Jesus are we teaching to others?
One of the most frequent ways that we evangelize about the truth is by genuinely living true faith, especially during hardships, in sight of those who are inexperienced at relying upon God. If we deal with problems without true faith, our behavior teaches others that God is not reliable and that he doesn't actually care.
It's not our words that make a difference; it's what our lives say. It's the message implied in our responses to everything that happens to us during the day. Jesus asks: "Who do YOU say that I am?" Did he mean, "Who do you SAY that I am?" as if he were more concerned about what comes out of our lips than out of our lives?
All too often, our words say one thing and our behavior another. People don't believe our words if our lives don't prove their validity. They can sense when our faith is not authentic. So let's start the unworded interrogation:
"Who do you say Jesus is? Who is he for you? How real is he for you? Is he everything that you tell me he is? Why should I obey the teachings of the Church when you haven't bothered to see if you can get an annulment after your divorce? Why should I trust God if you tell me you pray and yet you worry so much?"
You know what my pastor said one day that was pretty well...in your face. He was talking about all this gays in the church crap, during the sermon he said, you know I will tell all the gays to stay out and lets also kick out all the fornicating singles too... the point was that there would only be about 12 married people let inside the building, and hopefully those couples aren't cheating, or swinging, or deceiving his wife because he likes to be humiliated by a mistress. We all sin. We are all guilty of something every single day. So why come to church? To get better and learn and grow. Great point huh? Lets lock out all the sinners! He did say to not come in here recuiting people to gay, but hey...how many people go to church just for lust in looking for a pretty, young "innocent" girl?
What young people are looking for are authentic examples of God. Teenagers and young adults are in transition, moving from childhood's unquestioning acceptance of their parents' faith into an adult ownership of their own faith. They are "chadults"...all my friends know my made up words...no longer children but not yet true adults until they own the responsibilities of adulthood. This phase might last many years. It's hampered by every Christian they meet. And since we're all imperfect examples of what God is like, we shouldn't wonder why our youth stray from what we've taught them about faith.
Rebellion is strong during the chadult years. But, young people are not looking for ways to reject true faith. What they're seeking is proof that the faith they learned truly...well... true, truly safe to continue believing, truly worth building an adult life upon. And every person they encounter in the Church who fails to be Christ-like sends them off seeking God in other directions. The good news is: Our repentance from sin is a powerful way to show them authentic faith, the truth of God's mercy, and a faith worth believing.

He wants us back! Watch this great video on it.

That's MY King!. Inspiration Felt.

My King is Amazing! It has been just one of those bad months. I guess we all go through them right? Sometimes we just feel so alone out here don't we?
I came to San Antonio with high expectations of friends being strong commited christians and I was under the impression that they were on fire for Him. Maybe God is trying to once again have me depend on Him alone. But why?! Why would you not have mentors, role models and friends to walk with too? It is up to God and me I guess. Thank God for God sometimes. He never gives up on people. People give up just the very moment you needed them the most. Time to move on and find new hope in different people? I don't think so. This month of September has been a true test of prayer. No need to get into details. It has a lot to do with my family though. I feel like Jeremiah. His prayer is so perfect for me this month. Read below if you truly dare to see inside my feelings inside.

Jeremiah 20-
14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!
15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying, "A child is born to you—a son!"
16 May that man be like the towns the Lord overthrew without pity. May he hear wailing in the morning, a battle cry at noon.
17 For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever.
18 Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?

Wow, now that is amazing how relveant it is. Can you imagine praying such a prayer. My closests friends know my birthday is the hardest time of my life. My loneliest time. I feel like my life should be so much further but yet I stay stuck in Shit somehow. I try to spend it with my closest friends but somehow each time, I feel like the ones who matter most are too busy. Well, not all of them so I don't want you to think nobody is there. But, how hard is a simple birthday call? For the longest time I never even sent cards or thank you notes to people. I sewed poor seeds then and am reaping it now, but I have since changed that because it is invaluable to me and wish to get more than the thought of wandering if anyone is going to even take the time to text. Nope. I need to give more though. Where do you want me lord?! Where am I supposed to be. This burden I carry is not lite and I know you said it should be. So, what am I doing wrong? What a prayer. To pray that the man who pulled you from the womb, who probably lit a cigar and popped the wine cork in celebration while shouting "It's a boy!" should be so cursed for it. Man, he must have had some serious strife in his life. Sometimes I feel the same way. Wondering what if I gave up and left this Earth, but knowing God has more for me. To never give up, but sometimes I feel so alone.

Psalm 46 says God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble! Refuge!!! It is said that God created 6 cities where men can find refuge in the event of anything. Say for instance you make a huge mistake and commit manslaughter accidentally. You could run to this city for refuge before the avenger comes for execution. If to be found guilty at which point then you would be handed over to the avenger but this refuge saved many men who were innocent. Thankfully God is our refuge from the storm. But its asking for his refuge. Like I said, in my past life has been difficult at times. This past week in fact has been one of the most difficult weeks I have faced in 2 years. But, we all have our problems and I should not expect the devil to ignore me right? But then I have a great King!
Enjoy this wonderful video for one of the greatest ever. Dr. S.M. Lockridge. I did a search to find out what the S.M stands for...Know what the SM stands for? Shadrach Meshach. Crazy his mom had such an insightful vision to name him that. He is said to be the "T.D. Jakes" of the 60's. Enjoy.

First Step Towards Victory

On Friday, a federal court judge in Utah denied an attempt by convicted felon Barry Minkow and his for-profit company to evade an expedited discovery order that was originally issued on August 1, 2007. As a result of this ruling, Mr. Minkow will be required to respond to written discovery requests, submit requested documents and sit for a 4-hour deposition.
As part of this discovery process and under the penalty of perjury, Mr. Minkow will be asked to reveal a variety of undisclosed information related to his and his unidentified partners' alleged attempt to profit from deliberately driving down USANA's stock price. Specifically, he will be required to identify his financial backers as well as any and all financial institutions, short sellers or individuals with whom he has shared involvement on this matter.
USANA has filed a lawsuit against Mr. Minkow and his for-profit company in U.S. District Court, District of Utah, Central Division, alleging that he has engaged in a public relations campaign to intentionally and illegally manipulate the market for USANA's stock for the economic benefit of himself and his undisclosed associates. USANA is demanding judgment against Mr. Minkow and his undisclosed financial backers and associates including among other remedies, injunctive relief, restitution, damages and recovery of attorney fees and other costs related to defending against the defendants' conduct.
"We are pleased that the judge has recognized the merit of USANA's position that it is entitled to expedited discovery to learn the identity of Mr. Minkow's financial backers and his associates in the investment community who have benefited from illegal stock price manipulation," said D.J. Poyfair, attorney with Shughart, Thomson & Kilroy P.C. and legal counsel to USANA. "We believe Mr. Minkow and his associates have been engaged in a well-coordinated effort to line their pockets through illegal manipulation of USANA's stock price. The fact that nearly 9 million shares, or approximately 125% of the public float, are shorted we think is evidence of stock manipulation. Minkow has already admitted that he will gain financially from a decrease in the company's stock price, and we believe the evidence will demonstrate a deliberate campaign to damage USANA with misinformation and false statements. We look forward to the discovery process and taking this first important step in exposing this crime against USANA."

Sincerely,

Dan Macuga
Vice President
Network Development & Public Relations
USANA Health Sciences, Inc.

I was reading a great book by Jim Cramer entitled "Real Money". In that book he talked about all the people he would manipulate into writting articles in the Wall Street Journal. I didn't know all the ins and outs and still don't but it's a shame that it happens. It is not fair, but all things good will prevail. There was a nasty article written up in the Journal about Usana that caused some serious damage. Amazingly, we are going to still make another quarter of consecutive record growth now of 20 quarters. When you are on top for 9 years in a row, people will do anything possible to bring you down. Damn devils. Do your due diligence and get to the truth before reading things at face value. It is not always as you perceive. I mean seriously, Dr. Myron Wentz just received the Albert Einstein World Award for Science. It is given as a means of recognition, and as an incentive to scientific and technological research and development", with special consideration for researchers which "have brought true benefit and well being to mankind." The Albert Einstein World Award for Science, salutes leaders whose vision and commitment have contributed to the critical advancement of vital life-saving and life-enhancing technology to benefit mankind. Dr. Wentz received the award in recognition of his contributions to nutritional science, as well as his many humanitarian endeavors.“I am honored and humbled to receive an award that bears the name of Albert Einstein,” Dr. Wentz said. “As both an extraordinary scientist and dedicated humanitarian, he serves as a great inspiration for my life’s work, helping people lead healthier lives through nutritional science.”That is a serious award people. But you know...maybe its a scam.

Break A Vase

A compliment is a gift, not to be thrown away carelessly, unless you want to hurt the giver.
Eleanor Hamilton

The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.
Charles Dudley Warner (1829 - 1900)

1Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2"But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot."
3While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
6"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Mark 14:1-9

Growing up I had such a terrible mentality. My father raised me to pay attention to how and where I spend my money. Let me first make this clear. I am not advocating being a ridiculous irrational spender here. I am simply stating in some heartfelt moving times you should be an extravagant giver. Be a wonderful giver of extravagant gifts and acts of love.
For at least the past 5 years I believed in abundance but obviously not a bountiful abundance. It took time for me to truly believe that anything was possible. Even then for sometime I felt it was only necessary to give to those who needed instead of giving for the love of giving. I am sure we all have felt the immediate thought of love and sacrifice to give. I just did not understand it fully.

It is funny looking back now on my immaturity and lack of understanding with true giving. Giving without any limits or writing a check for someone or some purpose that makes you feel uncomfortable. About 2 years ago I was sitting in a restaurant and Angie had this off the wall desire to just buy everyone’s meal in that restaurant. At the time it seemed like such a ridiculous action to me. Why? I thought. There is so much more opportunities in the world to do better things with money than to buy an entire restaurant their meal. I mean think of all the poor people in the world. My calculating mind determined the expense to be roughly $3,000. That would feed an entire village in Africa for an entire year. $3,000. But for some reason that day I ripped her wonderful feeling of giving a joyful, extravagant gift to shreds and called it ridiculous. I tore it apart with my calculating mind. Abundance. $3,000 is nothing to a lot of people in this world. To some, it’s 1/4th of their annual salary. To a couple of friends of mine here in Texas it’s a days pay. “There will always be poor.” That’s what Jesus said in verse 7. What does he mean by that? He is simply stating that no matter how much good you do there will always be poor people out there. I remember the scene in Schindler’s List where after all the wonderful things he did that saved thousands of people’s lives, he could only think of the things he did not do. I respect that thought, but sometimes you need to splurge on yourself and on others and realize there will always be poor people to help. Jesus was not condoning this act for every time you rather give to yourself or people who are more fortunate instead of the poor. Everyone knows all the wonderful things He did for them. But this lady wanted to do something for him. To pamper Jesus and this is the feeling she was given to do so. She poured pure nard (extremely expenssive fragrances) all over Him. It says this nard was worth her annual salary. Jesus recognized it as a true gift of love. I have since realized that people in higher statuses of life need gifts of extravagance and love just as much as the poor. Some people go through horrible things in life no matter what their finances look like. Jesus, the Son Of God could have had anything. He certainly did not need to be pampered by such extravagance. It was the heart of this woman He praised while others only thought of the action which could have been better spent on a more “worthy” cause. What a poor mentality. If you have been through something, say a friend has lost a loved one in their life and they are finally pulling through it, do something extravagant for them. Write a check that makes you feel uncomfortable. Give them an unexpected gift at an unexpected time.

Don’t Miss The Boat

When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”

-Acts 12:14-15

"Unless You Believe, You Will Not Understand."

-Saint Augustine (354AD-430AD)

You can say prayers in your mind but doubt in your heart. At times God will answer such prayers as He did when Peter was in prison, scheduled for execution. The believers in Jerusalem were powerless to free him, so they prayed. When God released Peter, their reaction revealed the doubt in their hearts. They argued that Peter could not possibly be free, even as he stood outside knocking on the door!
It is possible to be a “person of prayer” and yet still not have faith? Absolutely! If you study habitual liars, they actually believe their lies to be true. If you tell the same lie over and over again, you too will come to believe your lie to be true. Is it possible to fool yourself into believing that because you ask God for help, you have faith in His ability to meet your needs? Is your faith so weak that you are surprised when God answers your prayer? As a child of God, you ought to expect God to answer your prayers. Not play God like a puppet which is in your control but know undoubtedly that he will answer them the best way He decides. And…sometimes those prayers may be just the way you wanted, that’s where we see the true essence of faith. Are you surprised or are you grateful? Not, surprised and grateful. Just grateful. Do you ask God to do something without adjusting your life to what you are praying? If you are praying for revival, how are you preparing for its coming? If you are praying for forgiveness, are you still living with guilt and bitterness? If you have asked God to provide for your needs, do you remain worried and anxious?
Ask God to increase your faith, and then begin living a life that reflects absolute trust in Him. Out of His grace, God may choose to respond to your requests despite your lack of faith, but you will miss the joy of praying in faith.
I like the commonly used story about the woman stranded on top of the house where the waters are rising due to a massive flood. While waiting she prayed earnestly for God to come and save her. As she was praying a man rowed by in a canoe and asked if she wanted help. She declined and remarked “No thanks, God is going to save me.” So he rowed on. She continued to pray and a country boy came by in his air powered boat and asked her if she wanted help. She waived him on as well remarking the same thing. Then the Coast Guard came in with a helicopter. Again the same thing. Well, she died. When she went to heaven she asked God, “What happened? I prayed for you to save me and now I am here.” He looked at her, shook his head and responded, “I sent you 2 boats and a helicopter. What more did you expect?” God is not going to be this giant arm that comes through the clouds to do what it is you are asking…well, he might but it is highly unlikely. So live faithfully that he has an arm through the clouds right now helping but you just can’t see it.

And now for Napoleon Hill's Thought of the Day.

IF YOU ARE AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE DOWNTRODDEN.

We still live in the greatest country in the world. The United States is the great experiment in positive thinking; our entire system of government is based upon faith in the inherent goodness of the individual. It was a revolutionary idea more than 200 years ago when the Declaration of Independence was first signed. Borrowing from the greatest thinkers in history, our founding fathers established a form of government of the people that is today the model most imitated around the world. Economic and political conditions ebb and flow, but as long as we have a democratic society that celebrates the individual, we can achieve anything in life we desire. All you require to be successful in the United States is the desire to achieve success and the determination to stick with it until you reach your goals.

You Are Your Worst Enemy

A Blog from Get Rich Slowly.

My friend Gillian called the other day — she’s been having money trouble and was looking for help. “I’m not really a financial advisor,” I told her. “I write about money, and I try to help people at my web site, but I’m not qualified to coach you one-on-one.” Still, she’s a friend, so I resolved to at least give her some advice. I asked her to explain the situation.
“Tom and I are working all the time, but we’re always broke. He just wrecked his car, but we don’t have money to get it repaired. We’ll have to use the credit cards again. We don’t have any other choice. There’s never anything left at the end of the month,” she said. “I need some help budgeting so that we don’t keep having this problem.”
“Well, let’s see what we can do. I guess the best place to start is with your monthly income and your monthly expenses. How much do you and Tom bring home each month?” I asked.
“About $4,000 after taxes.” That was about what I expected.
“How much do you spend?” I asked.
“All of it,” she said, laughing. I expected that, too.
“How much do you have saved?” I asked. “Do you have any savings at all?”
“No, we don’t,” she said. “There’s never been anything left over to save.”
They don’t have anything left to save because they’re very good at spending money. Gillian and Tom live well:
They have a nice custom-built home.
Each of them drives a late model SUV.
They have no kids.
They enjoy expensive hobbies.
I have friends who make half what Gillian and Tom do, but have built a nest egg because they maintain a frugal lifestyle. It should be easy for these two to reduce their spending to create a budget surplus. “Well, let’s see if we can find a way to free up some cash,” I said. “Let’s list your fixed monthly expenses.”
Gillian listed their bills one-by-one. I jotted them down, making note of anything that seemed particularly extravagant. “Okay, let’s see what we have,” I said. “You’re paying a housekeeper $50 a week. If you were to clean the house yourself, you’d save $200 a month.”
“But…” she began.
“I think you’d be surprised at how much difference $200 a month can make,” I said. “I know from experience that even a $50 positive cash flow can make the difference between feeling broke and feeling flush. A $200 difference is huge.”
“Yeah,” said Gillian, “but I don’t want to clean the house. It’s too much work.” I was puzzled. To me, this was a quick and obvious way to free up money. If I were in her shoes, the housekeeper would be the first thing to go — it would be worth some extra work on my part. I tried a different approach.
“You each have a cell phone,” I said. “Do you both need one?”
“Yes,” said Gillian. “I don’t know what I’d do without one. And Tom needs one for work. I need to be able to reach him.”
Her reasoning seemed thin, but I pressed on. “Well, what about the cable bill,” I said. “You’re paying $60 a month for that. That’s an easy one. What about cutting back to basic cable?”
“Oh, we can’t get rid of cable,” Gillian said. “We watch TV all the time.” I was silent. “Are you there?” she asked.
“I’m here,” I said. “I’m just trying to figure out what to do. In order for you to turn things around, you’re going to have to make some sacrifices.”
“Yeah,” she said, “but we can’t cut cable. Tom would have a fit.”
“Gillian,” I said, “this is a little frustrating. I thought you wanted to get out of your money situation.”
“I do,” she said, “but so far you’re just suggesting things for me to get rid of. Isn’t there something else we can do? Can’t we use a budget to get more money?”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” I said. “Cutting things like these is making a budget. I know it seems terrible to have to give things up, but you need to make sacrifices — at least in the short term — in order to get ahead. You don’t have any savings. Any disaster means you’re putting money on your credit card. You need to build up some savings. You need to pay off your existing debt. In order to do this, you need to spend less than you earn. Right now you’re spending exactly what you earn, and you’ll never get ahead that way. I know, because for years that’s how I operated. You’re going to have to tighten the belt, Gillian. It’s the only way.”
I paused, and then said, “You need to decide what’s important.”
It was obvious I wasn’t going to be able to help her. I hadn’t even explored the Big Ideas, like moving down to a smaller home or trading one of their SUVs for a used car. I had started with the medium-sized stuff — the obvious chaff. But Gillian wasn’t interested in making changes if it meant altering her lifestyle. I changed the subject.
We talked about summer. Gillian asked how our garden was. I described the knee-high corn, the ripe raspberries, and Kris’ monster tomatoes. “I’m jealous,” she said. “I don’t have time to garden. I did get a chance to go to the nursery last week, though. I was able to pick up five shrubs on sale for about $10 each.”
The shrubs were the final straw. There was nothing I could do to help her because she wasn’t ready to be helped. She wasn’t ready to listen. She said she wanted to change, but she didn’t really. She was looking for a magic pill, something that would make life easier without any effort on her part. That’s not how it works. Eventually Gillian will reach a place so bad that she’ll begin to see the need to take responsibility for improving her situation, but she’s not there yet.
Our conversation reminded me of an episode of This American Life I heard recently.

http://www.getrichslowly.org/files/Dave%20Ramsey%20clip.mp3

The show profiled debt guru Dave Ramsey, and at one point the reporter played a segment in which Dave experienced similar frustration:
Tina calls Dave because she’s upside-down on her car loan. She recently wrecked the car, but rather than use the money to repair the vehicle, she spent it. “Ooooo-kay,” says Dave, obviously flustered. “I’m afraid what you’re looking at is probably a really good part-time job, about six or eight months of 80 hour weeks.”
“Eighty hour weeks?” says Tina. “That’s too much work.”
“I can’t help you, Tina,” says Dave.
And I can’t help you, Gillian.

Once again, a great example of Ready, Able, and Not Willing.

What More Could Have Been Done?

"What more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes?"

-Isaiah 5:4

The prophet Isaiah told the story of a man with a vineyard on a fertile hill. The man cultivated the ground and removed the stones so that nothing would hinder the vines’ growth. He planted only the best quality vines. He built a tower in the middle of the vineyard so he could watch for wild animals and intruders. He constructed a wine vat so that he would be ready for the ripe grapes. Then he waited. Rather than producing good grapes, however, the vineyard produced worthless ones.
The story illustrates the relationship between God and His people. God has done everything necessary for us to produce an abundance of spiritual fruit in our lives. He saved us when we were without hope. He gave us His Holy Sprit so that we can produce fruit in our lives. (Gal. 5:22-5:23) He removed our sin so that we are free to serve Him.
We have access to more Christian books music, videos, conferences schools, radio and television stations, magazines, and seminars than ever before. There are churches of every kind and size. We have the bible in numerous translations. We have teachers and pastors to instruct us and encourage us. Most of all, we have direct access to God through prayer. Jesus said that to whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48). One day God will hold us all accountable for all that He has done for us. He will ask us to show Him the fruit of all His bountiful provision for our lives. What will He find?

Well it is the Fourth of July! Happy Independence Day!!! The United States of America is absolutely the best country on the face of this earth for more reasons than one. The countdown has started. I have exactly one year from this day until my Financial Independence Day Party which will occur either here in San Antonio or Tampa Bay. Due to this wonderful country I have been blessed with the ability to create enough wealth to retire at such a young age of 25. You have to ask yourself one question. Am I pursuing His calling in my life? “We are all here blessed to be a blessing” as my friend Slim says. If you are blessing others you will be rewarded. The world is out there for you to grab it but we all conform in line and do what everyone else does and expect to get different results. I have chosen to walk a different path. I took the blue pill in the matrix and see things much differently now. What a wonderful world and what a great country we live in. God has blessed America and now it is time for us to receive it and plant new life for the next generations to come.

Who Declares The Path To Success?

You don't need fancy highbrow traditions or money to really learn. You just need people with the desire to better themselves."
-Adam Cooper and Bill Collage

"America believes in eduacation: the average professor earns more money in a year than a professional athlete earns in a whole week!"
-Evan Oscar (1899-1995)

"The First Rule Of Education Should Be:'Do No Harm'"
-Shaun Kerry, M.D.Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Article From http://www.education-reform.net/dropouts.htm

The present day educational system is damaging to young people. Evidence of this harm is being presented from psychological, neurological, sociological, statistical, and common-sense perspectives. There are many notable people, who did not complete their formal education, but accomplished great things. Bill Gates, founder of the software giant Microsoft, and the wealthiest person in the world, dropped out of Harvard in his freshman year. His incredible rise to prominence in the computer industry is testimony to the fact that formal education is not synonymous with success. In fact, his phenomenal knowledge of computers was not acquired in the structured environment of the classroom. Instead, Gates pursued this interest after school by studying the BASIC language from a manual with his friend Paul Allen, helping a local company debug its computers, and designing computer programs.
Many will dismiss Gates as an exceptional individual, who may have dropped out of college, but excelled in high school before being accepted at Harvard. There are, however, many other people who have reached the highest echelons of their profession without even completing elementary school, let alone high school. The following list offers a small sample of the thousands of individuals who have achieved tremendous success in their lives without completing their formal education:

• Albert Einstein: Nobel Prize-winning physicist; "Time" magazine's "Man of the Century" (20th century) (after dropping out of high school, he studied on his own and passed the entrance exam on his second try to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)
• John D. Rockefeller Sr.: Self-made billionaire American businessman-philanthropist; co-founder of "The Standard Oil Company;" history's first recorded billionaire (dropped out of high school two months before graduation; took business courses for ten weeks at Folsom Mercantile College [a chain business school])
• Henry Ford: Self-made multimillionaire American businessman; assembly-line auto manufacturing pioneer; founder of the "Ford Motor Company"
• Walt Disney: Oscar-winning American film/TV producer; animation and theme park pioneer; self-made multimillionaire founder and spokesperson of "The Walt Disney Studios/Company; "Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; Congressional Gold Medal recipient; French Legion of Honor admittee/Medal recipient (received honorary high-school diploma from hometown high school at age 58)
• Abraham Lincoln: 16th President of the United States; (little formal education - Lincoln himself estimated approximately one year; home schooling/life experience; later earned a law degree through self study of books that he borrowed from friends)
• Carl Sandburg: Pulitzer Prize-winning American author (little formal education; later passed entrance exam to Lombard College and graduated)
• Diana, Princess of Wales
• George Burns: Oscar-winning actor/comedian (elementary school dropout)
• Dave Thomas: Self-made multimillionaire American businessman; founder-spokesperson of the "Wendy's" fast-food restaurant chain (equivalency diploma)
• Martin Van Buren: 8th President of the United States (little formal education; began studying law at age 14 while an apprentice at a law firm, later became a lawyer)
• Andrew Carnegie: Self-made multimillionaire American businessman and philanthropist (elementary school dropout)
• John Chancellor: American television journalist; evening news anchorman
• "Colonel" Harlan Sanders: Self-made multimillionaire American businessman; founder-spokesperson of the "Kentucky Fried Chicken/KFC" fast-food restaurant chain (elementary school dropout; later earned a correspondence course law degree)
• Samuel L. Clemens ("Mark Twain"): Best-selling American author and humorist (elementary school dropout)
• Christopher Columbus: Italian explorer (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth)
• Davy Crockett: Early American frontiersman; U.S. Congressman (Tennessee Representative); died at the battle of the Alamo (little formal education - less than six months; home schooling/life experience)
• Charles Dickens: Best-selling British author (elementary school dropout)
• Joe DiMaggio: National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
• Sir Francis Drake: British explorer; knighted in the United Kingdom (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth)
• George Eastman: Self-made multimillionaire American inventor; founder of the "Kodak" roll film camera, corporation, and chemical company
• Thomas Edison: Self-made multimillionaire, most famous and productive inventor of all time; invented the filament electric light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture camera; electrical power usage pioneer; Congressional Gold Medal recipient; knighted (France: bestowed the rank of Chevalier, (had no formal education - home schooled)
• Benjamin Franklin: American politician - diplomat - author - printer - publisher-scientist - inventor; co-author and co-signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence; one of the founders of The United States of America; face is pictured on the U.S. one-hundred dollar bill (little formal education [less than two years]; home schooling/life experience)
• Clark Gable: Oscar-winning actor
• George Gershwin: Oscar-nominated and most celebrated American songwriter-and classical composer; Congressional Gold Medal recipient
• Amadeo Peter Giannini: American-born founder of "Bank of America"
• Cary Grant: Oscar-winning actor
• W.T.Grant: Self-made multimillionaire American businessman; founder of the "W.T. Grant Company" department store chain
• H.L. Hunt: Self-made billionaire American oil industrialist (elementary school dropout)
• John Huston: Oscar-winning American film director-actor (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen, etc.)
• Elton John: Oscar-winning songwriter-singer; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; knighted by the United Kingdom
• Andrew Jackson: 7th President of the United States (no formal education; home schooling/life experience)
• John Paul Jones: Scottish-born American Revolutionary War U.S. navy commander; famous quote: "I have not yet begun to fight." (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth)
• Henry J. Kaiser: Self-made multimillionaire American businessman; founder of "Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation," "Kaiser Steel," etc.
• Kirk Kerkorian: Self-made billionaire American businessman
• Ray Kroc: Self-made billionaire American businessman; founder of the "McDonald's" fast-food restaurant chain
• Jerry Lewis: Actor-comedian-singer-entertainer-humanitarian; knighted (France: Chevalier [or Chev.] Jerry Lewis)
• John Major: British Prime Minister 1990-1997
• William Shakespeare: British playwright; best-selling British author
• George Bernard Shaw: Nobel Prize-winning Irish-born British playwright; best-selling author
• Frank Sinatra: Oscar-winning actor-singer; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; Congressional Gold Medal recipient
• John Philip Sousa: American composer-conductor (elementary school dropout)
• Zachary Taylor: 12th President of the United States (little formal education; home schooling/life experience)
• George Washington: 1st President of the United States; former general; Chairman of the Constitutional Convention; U.S. nickname: "The Father of Our Country"; face is pictured on the U.S. one dollar bill and twenty-five cent coin (quarter) (no formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth)
• William Faulkner: Nobel Prize-winning and Pulitzer Prize-winning American author; screenwriter (dropped out of high school in second year; later attended University of Mississippi but did not graduate)
• Herman Melville: Best-selling American author and writer of Moby Dick, arguably the greatest novel of all time.
• Liza Minnelli: Oscar-winning actress-singer • Robert Mitchum: Oscar-nominated actor
• Claude Monet: French painter (elementary school dropout)
• David H. Murdock: Self-made billionaire American businessman • Florence Nightingale: History's most notable nurse; best-selling Italian-born British nursing book author (no formal education; home schooling/life experience)
• Thomas Paine: American Revolutionary War era political theorist; best-selling British-born American author; famous quote: "These are the times that try men's souls." (little formal education; home schooling/life experience)
• Millard Fillmore: 13th President of the United States (little formal education - six months; home schooling/life experience; studied law while serving as a legal clerk with a judge and law firm; later became a lawyer)
• Will Rogers: American author-humorist-lecturer-actor-entertainer; famous quote: "I never met a man I didn't like."
• Frederick Henry Royce: Self-made multimillionaire British businessman; co-founder-designer of the "Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Company"; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Frederick Henry Royce) (elementary school dropout)
• Edmond Safra: Lebanese-born billionaire banker-philanthropist
• David Sarnoff: Russian-born American radio and television pioneer; given the title "Father of American Television" by the Television Broadcasters Association
• William Saroyan: Oscar-winning screenwriter; Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright
• Vidal Sassoon: Self-made multimillionaire British businessman; founder of "Vidal Sassoon" hairstyling salons, academies, and hair-care products
• Walt Whitman: Best-selling American poet (elementary school dropout)
• Orville & Wilbur Wright: Aviation pioneers; Congressional Gold Medal recipients
• Grover Cleveland: 22nd and 24th President of the United States; face is pictured on the one-thousand dollar bill, which is no longer printed; (dropped out of school to help family earn income; studied law while serving as a clerk at a law firm, later became a lawyer)
• Irving Berlin: Oscar-winning American songwriter-composer; film story writer; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; Congressional Gold Medal recipient

Ultimately, what distinguishes the aforementioned individuals from the rest of us is their passion for learning that transcends the structured environment of the classroom. Instead of limiting their education to formal schooling, they were curious about the world around them. With their fearless spirit of exploration and their desire to experiment, these individuals discovered their true passions and strengths, which they built upon to achieve success later in life.
Imagine what a loss for the world it would have been had Thomas Edison decided to conform to the system, and invest his time in doing homework, rather than pursuing his love for invention. What if Walt Disney had confined his learning to the requirements of his school's curriculum, and followed only the guidance of his teachers, rather than his own internal motivation. His extraordinary animated features may have never been created.
Ultimately, formal education - by placing the control of learning in the hands of teachers and administrators, and imposing rules and requirements on students - stifles the natural love for learning. We must learn from these exceptional individuals who had the courage to defy the coercive force of formal education and carve their niche in our history.

• H.G. Wells.......best-selling British author (dropped out to help family earn income; later returned and went on to college)
• Jim Clark........self-made billionaire American businessman; founder of "Netscape"; first Internet billionaire (17, U.S. Navy)
• Jimmy Dean..........singer-songwriter-actor; self-made multimillionaire American businessman; founder of the "Jimmy Dean
Foods" brand sausage business (16, U.S. Merchant Marines; 18, U.S. Air Force) • Andrew Jackson......7th U.S. President; face is pictured on the U.S. twenty dollar bill (13, U.S. Continental Army; orphaned at 14; little formal education; home schooling/life experience; studied law in his late teens and became a lawyer)
• Leon Uris..........best-selling American author (Exodus, etc.) (17, U.S. Marines) • Walter L. Smith.....former president of Florida A&M University (equivalency diploma, at age 23)
• W. Clement Stone....self-made multimillionaire (some sources indicate billionaire) American businessman-author; founder of "Success" magazine (elementary school dropout; later attended high-school night courses and then some college)
• Jack London.......best-selling American author (dropped out at 14 to work; later gained admission to the University of California; left after one semester)
• Arthur Ernest Morgan....American flood-control engineer; college president-author; appointed by President Roosevelt to be director of the Tennessee Valley Authority public works project (left high school after three years; later attended the University of Colorado for six weeks)
• Ray Charles.........singer-pianist; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
• Cher......Oscar-winning actress-singer • Maurice Chevalier.... Oscar-winning actor-singer; French Legion of Honor inductee/Medal recipient (note: rank bestowed in 1938
• Pierce Brosnan......actor
• Ellen Burnstyn......Oscar-winning actress
• Raymond Burr.......actor
• Sammy Cahn.......... Oscar-winning American songwriter-composer • Michael Caine.......Oscar-winning actor; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Michael Caine)
• Glen Campbell.......country music star
• Daniel Gilbert......Harvard University psychology professor (equivalency diploma)
• Dizzy Gillespie.....musician-composer (received honorary diploma from high school he attended)
• Patrick Henry.......American Revolutionary War era politician; Virginia's first governor; famous quote: "Give me liberty, or give me death!" (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; later studied on his own and earned a law degree)
• Peter Jennings......Canadian-born American television journalist; evening news anchorman
• Ansel Adams.........American wilderness photographer; photography book author; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
• Julie Andrews.......Oscar-winning actress-singer
• Louis Armstrong.....singer-musician
• Brooke Astor........wealthy American socialite-philanthropist-author; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
• Pearl Bailey........singer-actress; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
• Lucille Ball........actress-comedienne-producer; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
• Bill Bartman........self-made billionaire American businessman
• Count Basie.........bandleader-pianist
• Jack Benny.......... comedian-actor-violinist
• Humphrey Bogart.....Oscar-winning actor
• Peter Bogdanovich....Oscar-nominated American film director-screenwriter (The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon, Mask, etc.)
• Whoopie Goldberg....Oscar-winning actress-comedienne
• Benny Goodman.....bandleader-clarinetist
• Lew Grade.........British film/TV producer (TV: The Avengers, The Saint, Secret Agent, The Prisoner, The Muppet Show, etc.); knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Lew Grade)
• Philip Emeagwali....supercomputer scientist; one of the pioneers of the Internet (high-IQ high-school dropout; left school in native Nigeria due to war conditions and lack of tuition money; continued to study on his own and earned an equivalency diploma; later won a scholarship to Oregon College of Education in the United States; transferred after one year to Oregon State University)
• Danny Thomas........actor-producer-humanitarian (actor: Make Room for Daddy/The Danny Thomas Show; co-producer: The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, etc.); Congressional Gold Medal recipient
• Peter Ustinov.......Oscar-winning actor
• Hiram Stevens.......American-born engineering inventor; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Hiram Stevens)
• Patrick Stewart..... actor-writer-producer-director; former captain of the Enterprise on TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation and in films.
• Kemmons Wilson.......self-made multimillionaire American businessman; founder of the "Holiday Inn" hotel chain
• Kjell Inge Rokke.....self-made billionaire Norwegian businessman
• David Puttnam.......Oscar-winning British film producer (Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express, etc.); knighted (United Kingdom: Sir David Puttnam)
• Anthony Quinn.......Oscar-winning actor
• Julie London....... singer-actress
• Sophia Loren.......Oscar-winning actress; best-selling Italian-born author; former model (elementary school dropout) • Joe Louis..........boxer; Congressional Gold Medal recipient • Roy Rogers..........actor-singer-guitarist
• Walter Nash.......New Zealand Prime Minister 1957-1960; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Walter Nash)
• Olivia Newton-John.... singer-actress; British-born Australian author
• Rosa Parks.........U.S. civil rights activist-pioneer; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; Congressional Gold Medal recipient
• Mary Pickford......Oscar-winning actress; early Hollywood pioneer; co-founder of "United Artists Corporation" (little formal education [six months]; home schooling/life experience)
• Sydney Poitier.....Oscar-winning actor (elementary school dropout)
• Frederick "Freddy" Laker.... self-made multimillionaire British businessman; airline entrepreneur; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Frederick [or Freddy] Laker)
• Tommy Lasorda...... baseball team manager; National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee
• David Lean.........Oscar-winning British film director (Lawrence of Arabia, Dr .Zhivago, etc.); knighted (United Kingdom: Sir David Lean)
• Anton van Leeuwenhoek....Dutch microscope maker; world's first microbiologist; discoverer of bacteria, blood cells, and sperm cells)
• Richard Branson.....self-made billionaire British businessman; founder of "Virgin Atlantic Airways," "Virgin Records," etc.; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Richard Branson)
• Isaac Merrit Singer....American sewing machine inventor; self-made multimillionaire founder of "Singer Industries," "I.M. Singer and Company," etc. (elementary school dropout) • Alfred E. Smith.....New York Governor; 1928 Democratic U.S. Presidential candidate (elementary school dropout) • Charles Chaplin.....Oscar-winning actor-writer-director-producer; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Charles [or Charlie] Chaplin) (elementary school dropout)
• Sean Connery........Oscar-winning actor; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Sean Connery)
• Jack Kent Cooke.....self-made billionaire Canadian-born American media businessman
• Noel Coward.........Oscar-winning actor-director-producer-playwright-composer; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Noel Coward) (elementary school dropout)
• Joan Crawford....... Oscar-winning actress; former dancer
• Charles E. Culpeper....self-made multimillionaire American businessman; early 1900s' owner and head of "The Coca Cola Bottling Company"
• Robert De Niro......Oscar-winning actor-producer; knighted (France: Chevalier [Knight] of the Legion of Honor; Chevalier [or Chev.] Robert De Niro)
• Gerard Depardieu....Oscar-nominated actor; knighted (France: Chevalier [or Chev.] Gerard Depardieu) (elementary school dropout)
• Richard Desmond.....self-made billionaire British publisher
• Thomas Dolby........ musician-composer; music producer
• Joe Lewis........self-made billionaire British businessman
• Carl Lindner.......self-made billionaire American businessman
• John Llewellyn.....U.S. Labor leader pioneer; for 40 years until his retirement, president of the United Mine Workers' Union
• Marcus Loew........self-made multimillionaire American businessman; early Hollywood pioneer; founder of the "Loews" movie-theater chain; co-founder of "MGM" studios (elementary school dropout)
• Mary Lyon.........American women's education pioneer; early American teacher; founder of Mount Holyoke College (America's first women's college)
• Sonny Bono...........singer-songwriter-actor; U.S. Congressman (California U.S. Representative)
• Duke Ellington......Oscar-nominated American composer-bandleader; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
• Ella Fitzgerald.....singer; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
• Aretha Franklin....singer; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
• Horace Greeley.... American newspaper publisher-editor; U.S. Congressman; 1872 U.S. Presidential candidate; co-founder of the Republican party in the United States
• Thomas Haffa......self-made double-digit billionaire German media businessman
• J.R. Simplot.......self-made billionaire American agricultural businessman
• Robert Maxwell.....self-made billionaire British publisher
• Rod McKuen.........best-selling American poet (elementary school dropout)

I Spy A Happy World

“Be Around The Change You Want To See In The World.”
-Kathy Sierra

Or the original version

"Be the Change That You Want To See In The World."
-Ghandi

It seems strange sometimes where you find advice and inspiration. I find myself stopping a lot more and really appreciating nature. Rumi said “The morning breeze has secrets to tell you.” Well, the breeze has been blowing here lately and I notice myself doing a lot of searching for those secrets in nature’s hidden mysteries. Everyone internally has a desire to be happy. To return to source is in essence true love and happiness. Even miserable people envy those happy people and shudder with disgust, jealousy and anger.
When I was a depressed boy, I asked myself what it took to be happy. I found that happiness in purpose personally. Yes I fully believe it takes Jesus, well that is what it took for me, but that alone was not enough because until I took Jesus’ purpose in my life only then did I decide to pursue my happiness with Him. You will often find many theories on the truth of happiness. And, each for somewhat are factual and help in their own ways. As I mentioned though, you need to find inspiration in everything and every word. It is there if you perceive it to be. Don’t expect others advice though to be the mold for perfection in happiness for your life. The best advice I hear in happiness often has nothing to do with happiness. I was reading my now new favorite blog to read www.headrush.typepad.com and in the blog she wrote entitled Angry/negative people can be bad for your brain

http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/04/angrynegative_p.html

where she reminded us of the flight attendants statement, “That You Must Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First.”
What a profound statement. So find inspiration in all things because unlike what you may believe, I believe God created everything therefore we are all connected to everything…goes back to the apple pie theory, so you can find inspiration in everything. But, if you find yourself in a place that is not inspiring to you, leave. What is the point of being in a place you find no inspiration?

Every Careless Word

"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give you account of it in the Day of Judgment."

Matthew 12:36

Jesus spoke plainly about our idle words, yet His warning often goes ignored and unheeded. Jesus said that for idle word there will be a time of accounting in the Day of Judgment. We would expect Jesus to condemn profane and vile uses of the tongue, but idle words? Idle words are things we say carelessly without concern for their impact on others. We too quickly assume that the sins of our tongue are minor sins, sins that God will overlook Yet Jesus was fully aware of the devastating nature of our words, for the idle words that come from our mouths give a lucid picture of the condition of our heart (Matt 15:17-20).
The Book of Proverbs encourages us to speak less rather than risk saying something offensive (Prov. 17:28). Often when we have nothing significant to say we are tempted to speak injurious, idle words. The more time we spend in idle chatter, the greater the likelihood that we will say things that are harmful. James cautioned believers to be "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19) we are in much less danger to saying something offensive when we are listening than when we are speaking.
Think carefully about the words that come from your mouth. Christians should only use words that uplift and bring peace to others (Eph 4:29). Do you need to speak less? Do you need to be more careful about the kind of humor you use? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you evaluate your words build up others or whether they destroy and hurt others.

Monkey See, Monkey Do.

"Whoso Neglects Learning In Their Youth, Loses The Past And Is Dead In Their Future."
-Euripides (484 BC-406 BC)

"We Learn By Example and By Direct Experience Because There Are Real Limits To The Adequacy Of Verbal Instructions."
-Malcolm Gladwell

Thankfully we can become different individuals above the influence of childhood by renewing our mind and faith, but damn it could be easier than ingraining our children with terrible aspects, traits, thoughts, actions, emotional outlets, social proof and examples. Where have all the cowboys gone? I hope this video impresses upon you some patience and makes you realize the ridiculous actions we humans do on our daily routine. Show some love. Please?

Perception Is Paramount

"Money Is Either A Good Or Bad Influence, According To the Character Of The Person Who Possesses It."
-Robert Kiyosaki

It’s true. Money has no character, no personality, no values. Its actions only reflect the desires of its owner. Money can build great hospitals and schools, or it can be gambled away or squandered on meaningless possessions. Money may build museums to house beautiful works of art, it may construct beautiful houses of worship-or it may be used to create instruments of war and destruction. As you build your personal wealth, make sure you build your character by setting aside a portion of your income to help others. Choose a church, a charity, or a cause that you can enthusiastically support. Then give of your money and your time in support of that cause. The primary beneficiary of such noble actions is always the one who gives, not the one who receives.

"We Make A Life By What We Get, We Make A living By What We Give."
-Sir Winson Churchill

Man vs. Mind

"If You Must Be Deceitful, Be Sure You Never Try To Deceive Your Best Friend-Yourself."
-Robert G. Allen

A better understanding of what you are about-your goals, your dreams, and your aspirations leads you to a better understanding of those around you. It is critical, therefore, that you be honest with yourself at all times. The moment you begin to deceive yourself is the beginning of the decline in your character; it is the beginning of a process of rationalization that permits you to justify unacceptable behavior. Make sure you are a person whom you like, a person of sound judgment and character. If you don’t like yourself, how can you expect others to like you? Step back and examine your behavior as logically as possible. Ask yourself, "Am I the kind of person I would like to be with?" Developing good character traits is like achieving any other objective. Determine where you wish to be and then develop a plan for getting there.

Why Don't You Act 'Black'?

"When it comes to choosing my friends, I am still colorblind."
-Kamaal Majeed

From: This I Believe,
Read other essays at : http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138

Since my middle school years, I've been asked this question more than any other. It seems to me that too many people have let society program into their brains what should be expected of me, a black person, before ever interacting with me. But I believe in being who I am, not who others want me to be.
On my first day of high school, going into math class, two of my classmates pointed and laughed at me. I initially thought my fly was open, or that something was stuck in my teeth. But as I took my seat, I heard one of the students whisper, "Why is a black person taking honors?" So my fly wasn't open. An honors-level class had simply been joined by a student whose skin was an unsettling shade of brown.
Many people think my clothes should be big enough for me to live in, or expect me to listen exclusively to "black music." In seventh grade, a group of my peers fixed their cold stares on my outfit: cargo shorts and a plain, fitting T-shirt. They called out to me, "Go get some 'gangsta' clothes, white boy."
In one of my Spanish classes, as part of a review exercise, the teacher asked me, "Te gusta mas, la musica de rap o rock?" Do you like rap music or rock music more? I replied, "La musica de rock." The look of shock on my classmates' faces made me feel profoundly alienated.
I am now in my junior year of high school. I still take all honors courses. My wardrobe still consists solely of clothes that are appropriate to my proportions. My music library spans from rock to pop to techno, and almost everything in between. When it comes to choosing my friends, I am still colorblind. I continue to do my best work in school in order to reach my goals; and yet, when I look in the mirror, I still see skin of that same shade of brown.
My skin color has done nothing to change my personality, and my personality has done nothing to change my skin color.
I believe in being myself. I believe that I — not any stereotype — should define who I am and what actions I take in life. In high school, popularity often depends on your willingness to follow trends. And I've been told that it doesn't get much easier going into adulthood. But the only other option is to sacrifice my individuality for the satisfaction and approval of others. Sure, this can be appealing, since choosing to keep my self-respect intact has made me unpopular and disliked at times, with no end to that in sight. But others' being content with me is not nearly as important as my being content with myself.

Kamaal Majeed is a high school student in Waltham, Mass. In addition to his studies, he works part-time at the local public library, and enjoys studying foreign languages and writing a personal journal. Majeed hopes to pursue a career in journalism.

“My skin color has done nothing to change my personality… I believe that I -- not any stereotype -- should define who I am and what actions I take in life.”

-Kamaal Majeed

What an incredible outlook and insight on life. I just love his first quote. I am colorblind. I would like to shake his parents hands and buy them dinner. To Mr. and Mrs. Majeed, you are excellent parents! Thank you for creating such a nice gentlemen.

Be Generous

Be Generous
by W. Clement Stone

Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I to you.
- (Acts 3:6)

Be Generous! Give to those whom you love; give to those who love you; give to the fortunate; give to the unfortunate; yes - give especially to those to whom you don’t want to give.
Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You, and you alone, can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving. The more you give - the more you will have!
GIVE a smile to everyone you meet (smile with your eyes) - and you’ll smile and receive smiles . . .
GIVE a kind word (with a kindly thought behind the word) - you will be kind and receive kind words . . .
GIVE appreciation (warmth from the heart) - you will appreciate and be appreciated . . .
GIVE honor, credit and applause (the victor’s wreath) you will be honorable and receive credit and applause . . .
GIVE time for a worthy cause (with eagerness) - you will be worthy and richly rewarded . . .
GIVE hope (the magic ingredient for success) - you will have hope and be made hopeful . . .
GIVE happiness (a most treasured state of mind) - you will be happy and be made happy . . .
GIVE encouragement (the incentive to action) - you will have courage and be encouraged . . .
GIVE cheer (the verbal sunshine) - you’ll be cheerful and cheered . . .
GIVE a pleasant response (the neutralizer of irritants) - you will be pleasant and receive pleasant responses . . .
GIVE good thoughts (nature’s character builder) - you will be good and the world will have good thoughts for you . . .
GIVE prayers (the instrument of miracles) for the godless and the godly - you will be reverent and receive blessings - more than you deserve!
Be Generous!
GIVE!

And...Napoleon Hill's thought for the day.

PROFANITY IS A SIGN OF INADEQUATE VOCABULARY OR UNSOUND JUDGMENT-OR BOTH.

Thank you for trying so hard to make me understand this. I was both for the longest time and am glad to have been shown a better way. Mark Twain once observed that "the difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." It is never appropriate to use profanity, especially among people you do not know well. Instead, build your vocabulary by reading and studying so that you can express yourself simply and eloquently. When you expand the number of words you know, you also expand your mind, because understanding the words and their meanings necessitates understanding the concepts behind them. Make sure you allow time each day for study and reflection with words, but actions speak for themselves.

A Sad Parallel

"From each according to their ability, to each according to their need."
Karl Marx

From a random reading article I found entitled "A Sad Parallel"

I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food. But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue. Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table...everywhere.

Then some of the birds turned mean: They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket. And others birds were boisterous and loud: They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food. After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore.

I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio. Soon, the back yard was like it used to be...quiet, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.
Now lets see...our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, free education and allows anyone born here to be a automatic citizen. Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families: you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor: your child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English: Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to press "one" to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than "Old Glory", are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.
Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.

The Practical Application of Suggestion

The Practical Application of Suggestion
by W. Clement Stone

You motivate others to action through suggestion. The quickest and most effective form of verbal suggestion is to give a command . . . start with an action word such as: stop, think, try, go.
Also, use positive statements with desirable key or trigger words if you want positive, rather than negative, results. Take for example the positive statement: "You can learn" as contrasted with "You can’t learn."
Now here are a few illustrations of everyday positive or negative suggestions. The key or trigger words that propel one to action are bold:
Mother: You’re a good child. Each day you’re trying to be better.
Mother: You’re a naughty child! You can’t keep out of trouble!
Wife: The Browns are coming for dinner, dear . . . try hard to get home by six.
Wife: The Smiths are coming for dinner . . . I suppose you’ll be late as usual.
Teacher: What a wonderful day to be inside! Now we’re going to take up a thrilling, exciting subject . . . the story of the electric light.
Teacher: What a miserable, depressing, rainy day!
Friend: You look so much better than the last time I saw you! You do feel better, don’t you?
Friend: I don’t think you look so well today. How do you feel?
These illustrations of suggestion are simple. But remember, universal truths are simple.

Thought Provoking Quotes

"Man's Mind Once Stretched By A New Idea, Never Regains Its Original Dimensions."
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)

The world is filled with inspiration. Inspiration comes from the Greek root inspira or in spirit. This word is far different from motivation. Motivation is self-created action to achieve a certain accomplishment. Inspiration on the other hand is a direct reflection when you are lined with His calling. Jesus said "My work is easy, my burden is light." When you are inspired or in spirit to do something you are aligned with your source from which you came and there will be very minimal if any stress associated with this calling. When stress appears, you have somehow wandered from the truth and faith to do you what you think is the best for your life. You have chosen motivation and as we all know, this wears off within a maximum of 30 days says Zig Zigler. God Realization acknowledged will pull you back to source of which you came and you will be able realign yourself with His will and things will then fall back into place. You will find an abundant source of people, funding, books, or what your are supposed to be presented with in order to further assist you in your yoking. Every time, no question forever undeniable.
I have recently revisited Dr. Wayne Dyer, an amazing mentor of mines audio program to were he makes some amazingly insightful revelations. Imagine yourself in a field. All around you are over 3 million pieces of parts ranging from rubber, metal, wire, clothe of all sorts, nails and glass. Over 3,000,000 pieces! then suddenly out of nowhere hurricane force winds upwards to 400mph comes and picks these pieces of debris up into the whirlwind and out of the blue a gigantic Boeing 747 lands completely functional. What are the chances? What are the odds? One in a billion? One in a trillion? What kind of amazing knowledge do we have in our minds to be able to use the science and math of chemistry, algebra, physics, geometry and amongst many other things that go into the beautiful creation of the 747? Do we question its source? Not at all. We are clearly intelligent enough to create this object. Do you know what it takes to build such a machine? Probably not, maybe you do...I don't. Do I doubt we can? No, I see the evidence all around me. Every time I take notice of a 747 flying I am blown away by the amount of intelligence that went into its conception and wonder how this thing can even fly. Now take the human eyeball and compare it to a 747. Makes the 747 look like a tinker toy compared to the trillions of cells that go into just one eyeball. Can we create a functioning eyeball? No. Imagine the endless knowledge that went into it. Every single minute 6,000,000 eyeballs are created in the world. Every MINUTE in the world 3,000,000 people die and 3,000,000 people are born. 3,000,000 times 2 eyeballs per person. That's 6,000,000 eyeballs every single minute created. That is not even including all the raccoon eyeballs, lion eyeballs, the fly eyeballs. Have you looked at a flies eyeball? Now, this doesn't include the livers, stomach, intestines, or the brain. We can't even fathom how to engineer such things. And this is just on Planet Earth. Our universe is endless or so we can't prove its end. How can we question in good consciousness that there is not something out there with infinite knowledge and this is all an accident compared to the tinker toy of a 747? I see miracles everywhere. Everywhere I turn there is another miracle. The problem is we have what is called an E.G.O, we Etch God Out of our lives and break the connection to source. From the first 9 months of our life when we are in utero we give God complete control to do what he needs to do to create us, then whammo. We are birthed and decide to take over and say ok buddy, I got this. Then we spend our lives searching for this connection not realizing the entire time it is already in us. Do you think if you took half of an apple pie and half of a blueberry pie and placed a slice of apple pie on the table you wouldn't be able to tell what the orginal source of the pie it came from? No, you would know where that piece came from. From the apple pie. We are out here searching without God and that is why we are a lonely society, a lost society, an uneasy, discontent society. Just my thoughts I suppose. I am not a trained clinical psyche major, nope, just a self-read philosopher who has tries to use his brain. Take it as you want, in the meantime enjoy these thought provoking quotes by great leaders of the world.

“I don't deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either.”
- Jack Benny

“Too bad the only people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs and cutting hair.”
- George Burns

“You can only be young once. But you can always be immature.”
- Dave Barry

"I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous - everyone hasn't met me yet.”
- Rodney Dangerfield

“Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.”
- Napoleon Bonaparte

“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”
- Thomas Jefferson

“Do, or do not. There is no 'try'.”
- Yoda

“Talent does what it can; genius does what it must.”
- Edward George Bulwer-Lytton

“It's kind of fun to do the impossible.”
- Walt Disney

“We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time.”
- Vince Lombardi

“A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.”
- John D. Rockefeller

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.”
- Samuel Johnson

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”
- Henry Ford

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
- Henry David Thoreau

“Few things are harder to put up with than a good example."
- Mark Twain

"Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work."
- Robert Orben

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."
- Mark Twain

“One of the most feared expressions in modern times is ‘The Computer is Down.’ ”
– Norman Augustine.

Free Hugs

"Hope Doesn't Come From Calculating Whether The Good News Is Winning Out Over The Bad. It's Simply A Choice To Take Action."
Anna Lappe

Taking action. One of my favorite pastors, Casey Treat www.caseytreat.com who is pastor to the northwest in Seattle, Washington spoke at Eagles Nest one Sunday here in San Antonio. He spoke about will power. He made a simple analogy that has soaked into my mind for a long time now. He said most people break their own word the first thing right away, every morning. You ask how. Well, before we go to sleep we generally set an alarm clock. The intention of that alarm is to wake up. Not to snooze and get more rest before we feel awake. So you set your alarm and then break your own word by snoozing. That is just the downward start of you not having confidence in believing in your ability. Pretty simple concept but I realized that day it is not that easy to set an alarm and wake up. So as you lose that will power and as one thing after another does not occur the way you planned it due to your own lack of self belief it continues to beat on your belief in one self. And that is where you lose hope. Start with something small like forcing yourself to not snooze. It is a great start to success and finding hope.

I included this video because this man had a dream. An amazing, power thought and decided to put it into action. Now this campaign has taken root and people all over the world are doing what this man set his mind out to do. The power of thought...till then.

I Have A Dream

You See Things; And You Say, 'Why?' But I Dream Things That Never Were And Say, 'Why Not?'
George Bernard Shaw

I have always talked about speaking things into existence, be careful what you wish for kind of stuff. It is all throughout the bible but for some reason people think it is a crazy concept. Habakuk 2 speaks about it. You pray and depending on God's timing will you receive it. This whole "The Secret" craze has certainly taken a frenzy lately. It is mostly all summed up in the book Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. But there is one thing that I always speak about that I decided to write on once again. There are 3 steps in the secrets "thoughts are things that manifest concept". Step 1, Declare it. Step 2 How (this step is not done by you) and Step 3, receive it. Also in the movie, Jack Canfield says when you have inspired thought, act on it. Otherwise you will be telling yourself subconciously that you do not deserve it and the thing you desire will not manifest.

Well I included this cute video to say that you dont have to die for your dreams. But you do have to work for them to happen. "Nothing worthwhile comes easy." Thats what Griswald said...so watch this clip and know if you want your dream bad enough, it will take constant, consistent effort. But you have the strength through God and ability to do everything you desire if you desire it.

Fail Forward To Success

"If At First You Don't Succeed, Find Out If the Loser Gets Anything."
Bill Lyon

Hmmm....does the loser get anything? Lets ask the expert on failure. Watch this short video and find out what he thinks.




I find it amazing that as humans we tend to give up just before we are about to have a break through. We fail countlessly through our lives. As we fail and learn to become successful, we as losers if we can replace failing with losing do gain much. Knowledge to change for the better.

Can A Single Not Have A Date And Still Feel Love?

"Just because you love someone doesn't mean you have to be involved with them. Love is not a bandage to cover wounds."
Hugh Elliott

For in Christ Jesus...the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5:6

I heard an awesome story the other day about a story in John C. Maxwell’s book- The 21 Indisputable Qualities of a Leader. It goes like this.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, two strong view for leadership of Great Britain’s government: William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli. The two politicians were intense rivals. You can detect how they felt about each other, based on a comment made by Disraeli: “The difference between a calamity and a misfortune? If Gladstone fell into the Thames River, it would be a misfortune. But if someone dragged him out again, it would be a calamity.”
Many people believe Gladstone, leader of the Liberal Party for three decades, personified the best qualities of Victorian England. A career public servant, he was a great orator, a master of finance, and a staunchly moral man. He was prime minister of the United Kingdom four different times, the only person in the nation’s history to achieve that honor. Under his leadership, Great Britain established a national education system, instituted parliamentary reform, and saw the vote given to a significant number of people in the working classes.
Benjamin Disraeli, who served twice as prime minister, had a different kind of background. In his thirties, he entered into politics and built a reputation as a diplomat and social reformer. But his greatest accomplishment was masterminding Great Britain’s purchase of shares in the Suez Canal.
Though both men accomplished much for Britain, what really separated them as leaders was their approach to people. The difference can be best illustrated by a story told by a young woman who dined with the two rival statesmen on consecutive nights. When asked her impression of them, she said “When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in all of England. After sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest woman in England.” Disraeli possessed a quality that drew people to him and made them want to follow him. He had charisma.
Maxwell explains that the key to charisma is other-centeredness, putting the other person first. That’s also the chief characteristic of agape, God’s kind of love.

This is a passage a senior pastor at my church wrote for his Valentine’ Day Sermon entitled Can A Single Not Have A Date And Still Feel Love?

I have tried judgment and I’ve tried forgiveness. Forgiveness is better but there’s a problem. I don’t get to decide what the other person’s penalty is. I don’t get to decide how long they suffer. I have to be open to loving them and spending time with them. They get a better deal than they deserve and sometimes that irritates me. It requires that I trust God with the outcome. I have to let go to do that and letting go puts my selfishness to death. I don’t like the personal pain.
There are advantages. God really is a better judge than me. He sees the big picture clearer than I do. When I forgive, He forgives me. When I release the judgment, I am released. But my selfishness has to die for me to do it and I don’t like the pain.
I have tried lust and I have tried purity. Purity is better but lust has its advantages. Doing something secret has a strong pull. If I could fly and there was a rule against flying, I would still be sorely tempted to fly. Ah, the thrill of flying. There’s a similar thrill to doing something and not getting caught. The high of secrecy.
Beyond that, lust involves theft. I take someone else’s beauty or privacy or intimacy even though it is not mine or it’s not God’s time. I justify it because it makes me feel good or it satisfies my curiosity or it makes me feel like a little God, writing my own rules, determining my own time table, doing my own thing! Sure, it’s selfish; it’s all about me. I if I can find another selfish, secretive person who’s willing to share the crime with me, it seems totally okay, at least for the moment.
The downside is guilt and stress and the fear of being caught or exposed. But purity tells me to wait and I don’t want to wait.
Purity is best. It’s honest. It’s “Walking in the light.” It’s guilt free. It develops my character. It builds a firm foundation. It pleases god. It produces fruit. It leaves a great heritage. And, it leads to the favor of God. In the end I find out that His timing is better than mine even though I didn’t believe that on the front end.
Jeremiah 2:13 says “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug cisterns, broken cisterns that can not hold water.”
The enemy says, “You know what you want. You know what you need. You have every right to go for it. Dig your own cistern, your own storage facility. Judge whoever you choose. Lust after whoever you please. Eat whatever satisfies you. Do it as often as you can get by with it. If you get caught, it was worth it. You only go around once; grab for all the gusto you can get!”
The Lord says, “I created you. I have a destiny for you. I will give you the wisdom and grace to fulfill it. I have sent the Holy Spirit to intercede for you. I will test you but only to develop your character and maturity. I will lead you through dark places. Remember, I will go with you. Your enemies will surround you but I will serve a lunch for you right in the middle of them.”
The Greeks called the two types of love Eros, sensual attraction, and agape, other-centered love. Eros offers guilt pleasure, short term satisfaction; yes, the bill comes due and it’s at a very high price. In addition, God resists us. We seek our own picture of destiny and it is characterized by one night stands, an alcoholic buzz, followed by a hangover, stolen pleasures, followed by painful consequences, life that hopefully ends on Earth we won’t be prepared for eternity.
Agape offers joy when I don’t feel happy, guilt-free living, eternal reward, and God’s favor. He unfolds our destiny. It is characterized by life long commitment, healthy living, walking in the light, and God’s blessing. That life does not end on Earth because it prepares you for eternity.
However, agape is tough love. It requires that I trust God, that I seek His wisdom, that I rely on the Holy Spirit, that I seek healing, that I forgive and be forgiven, and I develop patience.
What about the question, “Can a single feel love and not have a date?” It all depends. If your goal is selfish satisfaction, you probably need someone, a certain someone, to respond to what gives you pleasure, to speak your love language-gifts, quality time, physical touch, words of affirmation, or acts of service-or possibly, all five. Your strategy may be co-dependant, a willingness to satisfy the other person’s self-centered desires. It may be fantasy, a willingness to believe that whatever brings you pleasure is therefore okay.
If your goal is agape, you’ll ask God to direct you to love in ways that please Him and that fulfill your destiny on Earth. You will do this out of faith, a belief that He will reward you in His way and on His timetable. This is God’s promise. “Don’t grow weary in doing well. You will reap in due season if you don’t faint!” The harvest He promises might be gifts, quality time, intimacy, words of affirmation, or acts of service. It might be His smile of approval. It might be enrolling you in a curriculum that will develop your character. And all of this will sometimes feel good right away and sometimes later.