The Democratic National Convention (DNC)

We all have fantasies. Those moments when we imagine ourselves being someone or doing something that would be a total outer body experience. Well, while watching the DNC last night, I had a fantasy that I was a politician giving a rousing and enthusiastic speech. Especially after the CNN commentators gave their opinion of the line up of speakers being boring and lack luster in their presentation of the focus of the Democratic party.

If I were there here is what I would say....

We are here on the edge of democracy working at the height of its definition. Democracy means a free and equal representation of people. Here is the time to make the "equal" a reality. This is the time to show how far we have come as Americans and to show the world that we are returning to the basic foundation which this land was supposed to be built upon. That foundation is filled with opportunity; opportunity for each American to be given the chance of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

But this foundational right can not be given to any American if it is not made available by the hands that are put in charge to mold this land into greatness.

There are new hands that are ready to make that foundational right available to all Americans. Those hands come from the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Barack Obama has made plans to rebuild our economy so that we are able to rebuild our lives, Barack Obama has made plans to renew our health care system so that it is made available to all Americans not just the wealthy and middle working class, and also Barack Obama has made plans to finally fill the gaps of education that separates our communities.

The time is now for opportunity to begin in this country and for all people to have the rights to an equal pursuit of happiness.

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Thank you for sharing in my fantasy.

What is the Truth?

I promised myself that I would update my blog every week but I do not write just to write. Writing to me is a way of giving a piece of my soul, so I wait for my soul to call for me to write on a particular topic. I know it sounds a little too heavy, but I figure if I consciously write to inspire, I will make a conscious effort to speak in the same way.

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I was watching the Oprah show and the show was addressing "The Face of Poverty".

I know there are a number of people that will not agree with what I am going to say but I welcome you to leave a comment. I am in Seminary and I am getting my masters in Divinity. I do not have a relationship with religion but I do have a relationship with God and Jesus Christ. I may not agree but I respect all different types of religions.

I know humanity will have to answer to God for the tests that God gives us daily as brothers and sisters on this earth and involved in this race. One of those tests is the plight of poverty. If I believe God is all powerful and provides blessings, then I must also believe that God allows ills to occur. There are some theologians, spiritualists, and God-fearing people that would disagree with me fully on this point. But I see God as a great parent that rears its children teaching them the way of the world and then backing off as they become adults to let them learn their way.

This world is not learning the way. What is the way?

The way is to look at the truth. I was not raised in the 60s or 70s, but it seems as though the truth was looked at and dealt with, most of the time it was faced with a fight, but they faced it. If the truth was not given to them, they went looking for it.

No one wants the truth anymore but they want their truth, the truth that makes them comfortable. The truth that makes them remain safe within themselves. This world distorts the truth so much through religious judgements, opinions, and mainstream media.

The truth is this country is full of poverty especially for African-Americans and Hispanics. We have television shows that talk about it but there are no shows that promote the action of doing something about it.

Poverty is a heavy monster that has roared for many years and it affects us all.

The truth is we do not have marches any longer to help promote awareness regarding poverty.

The truth is we do not have sufficient and dedicated programs to help create a change within people.

The truth is churches are now having a race to have the most buildings wrapped inside their iron gates.

The truth is we have reality shows that have nothing to do with most people's reality.

The truth is........well, as cliche as it sounds, we can not handle the truth.

We can not handle the fact that we have failed each other.

We have failed God's truth. God's truth basically is to take care of each other through actions of love, compassion, and understanding. But we have allowed our judgements, our biases, and our truths to stop us from doing that work.

God has his truth and its a perfect truth, so if he helped us based upon His truth we would all be living in complete hell. But instead he comes to us full of mercy, grace, understanding, and love.

Change is Inevitable

Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.
King Whitney Jr.
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I have been having a lot of conversations lately with people about CHANGE. It did not begin with speaking about change but the bottom line was being able to accept change. One of the most fascinating things that separate humans from animals, beyond rational thought, is the power of change. Animals must continue the same behavior, the same movement, and the same direction without hesitation. Humans are blessed with the beautiful choice of change!!! We can change our thinking, our behavior, and our mind. This is great because this means we are able to grow into something new, we are able to create and recreate, and we get a do over. We are able to rationally and actively change our lives!!!

How can such a beautiful thing become the center of discussions that are usually filled with hurt, pain, and confusion?

Well its simple, humans do not and are not able to accept the one thing that causes our waves to crash against our human shores. In other words, we can not accept the thing that helps to mold us into greatness.

Parents put their children in a box and plan their entire life before their 16th birthday and when it does not go as they planned, there is conflict. Friendships end because one person begins to change and the other person can not accept it. Civil uprisings occur because a certain people want change but they are forced to remain in a box by the government.

Why are most people scared of change within one another?

People believe that through the unfamiliar they will no longer be familiar. People become worried that what bonded them previously; whether it was doing a certain thing, having a certain pattern, or thinking a certain way; now that it has changed slightly, the relationship will change.

But, people must not be put in boxes and when you truly understand this notion, you allow people to change without hesitation. A true relationship, whether it is between family, friends, or lovers, will remain through the changes.

The more you are resistant to change within a person, the more you will stop the person from evolving which will eventually kill the relationship. What if you stopped a chicken from hatching and somehow you kept it in the egg, eventually it would die. This is exactly what happens if you physically, mentally, or emotionally hinder someone from changing. You kill them little by little as a result of the hurt and pain.

Change is scary and hurtful for everyone involved but when you as the receiver allow change to happen without conflict you allow love to flourish. Even if you are on the short end of the deal, such as a break up or you lose a friend.

For it is better to allow change and produce love, then to stop change and produce conflict. That love represents love for self and love for the other.

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This is dedicated to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for forcing the ideals of this country and its citizens to change.