Lessons of Building

(excerpt from the chapter, The Master Architect, in Diversities of Gifts: Same Spirit)

True visionaries are those who clairvoyantly see the end at the beginning, without support from any tangible assistance. Trying to communicate that vision to others can be extremely taxing at times. You will run into resistance when others are unable to see or comprehend what you see. Their criticism and skepticism become a momentary distraction, trying to divert your attention from executing your vision. The vision that God gives a visionary will come to fruition, even if God removes the skeptics or uses them to bless you. God gives a vision, with provision. His designs and blueprints will be made clear enough so that those who have been assigned to make it happen, will indeed make it happen by His grace. This foundation is “Rock” solid!

To build is to start from the bottom and work upward, not from the top and work downward. Working from the bottom up is construction (to develop and erect). Working from the top downward is de-struction (to destroy and demolish). As Kingdom Builders, we are starting from the bottom and working our way up. We are to follow Christ’s lead and feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned. You can’t build a house without the proper tools, building supplies and a solid, level foundation. The Kingdom can’t be built using weak spiritual tools and building supplies of shoddy spirits and underdeveloped gifts. Not everyone will have the innate ability to be a carpenter, plumber, roofer, electrician, mason or even the architect themselves. Once we learn what our purpose is, the vision will be erected according to His plan and resources. We are a small piece of the puzzle to this Master Blueprint, but nevertheless, a very important and significant component.

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Celebrating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we celebrate the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968), let us think about the prophecies reflected through his speeches and dreams that he generously shared with us. He married Coretta Scott and they had four children (Yolanda, Martin III., Dexter and Bernice). He used the principles of nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. It is noted that Dr. King made a request to avoid mentioning his awards and honors at his funeral. Instead, he wanted it to be said that he tried to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, be right on the (Vietnam) war question and to love and serve humanity. In 1964, Dr. King received The Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and discrimination, through nonviolent means.

To have a dream doesn’t start with the teacher, preacher, doctor, business executive or politician. It begins with you…unleashing your passion from within. And so on this day, we must ask, is that dream better? Or worse? Are we still trying to overcome some day or have we responded to the call by building sturdier bridges to propel us forward into a brighter future? Are we utilizing those precious values and resources from yesteryear that formed our steadfast foundations of the present, to love more, edify continuously and teach more passionately? As we reach this moment celebrating Dr. King’s heroic sacrifice 43 years later, we must analyze just how much we have progressed and if we are continuing to encourage others to dream even bigger dreams.

Are our children in a better position to accelerate to the level of greatest that we want them to be? Or are they on their own because we took our sights off of the purpose behind the dream, by not turning that dream into a reality and performing our assignments effectively? At this point of the journey, we should not be wondering when we shall overcome, but declaring that we overcame a long time ago with victory!

Happy Birthday Dr. King!

“Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Ice, Ice Baby!

 “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ~Anne Bradstreet

Anyone who had a terrifying experience with ice knows just how dangerous walking or driving on it can be. It can be scary, frustrating, inconvenient and sometimes deadly. The first day we had ice this week, we lost our satellite signal. We opted to have our dish located on the ground instead of on the roof, and I am so glad that we made that decision. I carefully walked outside, bundled up with an ice scraper, to see if there was any buildup obstructing the reception of the signal. With each step I took, the ice ahead of me would reveal vein like fractures that would make you think you would fall through the cracks at a given moment. When I finally reached the dish and started chipping the ice off of it, the next thing that happened nearly freaked me out. When the ice I was chipping away hit the ground, it started bouncing like a bunch of marbles someone spilled on the floor. I never experienced anything like that before. Because it was quiet outside, the sounds of the bouncing ice was too hard to ignore. Needless to say, I got back in the house as quickly as I could.

As we are trying to recover from the arctic blast that has laden the southeast with ice-covered snow, it seems like the ground and streets were turned into an ice rink, and regular objects sitting outside have formed some surprising ice sculptures. I was passing by my window this morning looking at how little the snow on our deck melted and noticed that in certain areas the snow-turned ice almost looked like an optical illusion. I would think that because of a brief melting and refreezing point from yesterday, these cute little attention getters resulted from that. However, these small sculptures literally looked like they were suspended in air and defied gravity.

First, the banister on the deck looked as if snow was still pack on it. But, when I looked closer, it appeared as if it was molded into an arch that mimicked the wave of an ocean. Then I noticed something in a small fountain sitting in one corner of my deck, and I cannot for the life of me, even come up with how this piece of ice formed into what I saw. It appeared that it was actually sculpted where parts of it was almost paper thin and the end section that meandered upward was as if something was flinging water up in the air and it immediately did a freeze frame. In case you are wondering if water was flowing through the fountain at that time, it was not. When the temperatures drop as low as they have been, I unplug the fountain, because the tubes will freeze.

I know that I tend to become fascinated by these natural wonders and I am not scientific by any means. But, I am curious about how this unexplained mystery occurred. I wished I had a camera filming this water metamorphosis, because to believe it, is to see it. Despite the dangers of walking or driving on this ice, to watch the prisms of light glistening throughout the ebb and flow of these natural ice sculptures by the sunlight, is truly a breathtaking sight. The only response that I have for this unexplained phenomenon is that God is truly an Awesome and Masterful artist!

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Moments to Embrace Natural Wonders

“Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.” ~ George Washington Carver

It’s amazing that as adults we sometimes stop soaking in the excitement of little things that exhilarated us when we were kids. The older I get, I often find myself sitting quietly and taking a moment to absorb the awesome beauty of God’s incredible creation. During the spring and summer, I am constantly sitting outside listening to the birds singing, watching the squirrels run to and fro, and seeing the birth of new shoots of flowers and leaves unfolding everywhere.

I still marvel at the changes in our weather, and although many describe it as bizarre occurrences, I have to sit down and take in the beauty of the moment. When we have rain showers, I sometimes sit by the window and occasionally open it, to watch and listen to the melody of the raindrops. When there is a nice spring breeze outside, I sometimes open my windows to allow the fresh air to float through. In the morning as the sun slowly rises, I get excited watching the sky transform from shades of orange sherbet and lilac into a beautiful blue sky with white, fluffy clouds and think, “Now this is good!”

We know that at any given moment, the more torrential the rain falls, the greater the threat of flooding. We know that the stronger the breeze, the greater the threat of a tornado. We know that the stronger the snowfall, the greater the chance for a blizzard. Although we understand and heed the dangers of the storms, we know at the end of the storm, the sun (Son) always shines with rays of hope!

But this morning, for this moment, as I look outside watching the delicate showers of snowflakes fall, in all of its innocence, majesty, purity and gentleness, I think, “God, you are more awesome than I could ever imagine.” I am grateful, for the opportunity to simply stop, observe and get giddy about seeing and experiencing life, with the type of excitement I remember feeling when I was younger!

If only for a moment, stop and smell the roses, magnolias or gardenias. If only for a moment, stop and listen to the musical composition of the rainfall. If only for a moment, stop and watch the fluidity of the trees dance in the gentle breeze. If only for a moment, stop and watch as the delicate whispers of snowflakes in the crisp winter air begin to layer the ground and trees in a beautiful white blanket of “wow!”. If only for a moment, we will find that the special events of life will turn into minutes, then into hours, then into days and then into years. Finally, you will realize that your one moment of gratitude can turn into a lifetime of unforgettable memories! Enjoy your moment…I certainly am!

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Is it time to Reinvent Yourself?

“The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

On January 1, we celebrated the first day of our new 2011 calendar year. Do you realize that every day we are blessed to be alive, it is the first day of a brand new year for us? I think this is reason alone to celebrate the gift of life every day we have breath in our bodies.

When we find ourselves becoming monotonous and lackluster in some aspect of our lives, we must do something to rekindle the pep in our step and the glide in our stride! While it is easy to be trapped in a sea of despair and discouragement, we have to snap out of it by doing something to reignite our passion to inspire, dazzle and live! Trials and tribulations have a way of wearing us out, ripping us apart, or trying to destroy us completely. There is so much that we have no control over, but you will be surprised by the amount of things that we can control. These things may not always be tangible, but spiritual. Sometimes this is easier said than done when you find yourself in a situation where it seems like there is just no way out. You try everything possible, but it seems like circumstances keep pushing you back further and punches you into a TKO (Technical Knock Out). Yet, when things seem to continue piling up against you, especially when you try to do everything right, don’t give up. Our valley experiences propel us to grow! To understand how this works, we may never quite grasp the process of how this is done. Instead of becoming bitter, we must get busy. Instead of just existing, you should broaden your horizons and live!

Reinventing yourself is not about creating a façade, but about revitalizing what exists to thwart the imprisonment of obscurity. Reinventing yourself is about self-improvement, not self-exploitation or self-idolization. Reinventing yourself is simply about making a better you through wiser choices, as opposed to the same old, same old!

When you look at a glass containing nothing, do you see it empty or as an opportunity? Stop surrounding yourself with the forces of negativity, for they will shut you down just when you least expect it. If we catch ourselves spewing out venomous attacks towards others just because, then we need to get ourselves in check and stop it. If we find ourselves always tearing down instead of building up, then change your tune.

Even with the marketing strategies that organizations put into place to promote their business, they must frequently examine their plans with their current trend, to keep themselves alive, fresh, competitive and updated. If they fail to do so, they can easily fall off the grid into a hole of obsolescence. That would create corporate suicide.

Under normal circumstances, people quickly become bored with the mundane and obscure. Is it time for a new career? Is it time to go back to school and get your degree or certification? Is it time to update your wardrobe? Is it time to seek out new opportunities in something you are passionate about? Is it time to enhance your knowledge by learning something new to teach and empower others? Is it time for a new attitude, perspective or approach? Is it time to lose weight and get healthier? Is it time to get rid of the clutter and overabundance that is creating stress and chaos in your life? Is it time to let go of anyone or anything that is trying to stunt your growth? Is it time to reinvent yourself?

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January 2011 Special Events

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

During the holidays, I encouraged everyone to continue celebrating life every day throughout the year, just as we would ordinarily do around the Christmas Holiday season! So as we kick off this spanking brand new year, I am going to share with you some national special occasions that you can learn more about and combine them with your personal special celebrations this month.

I am a tea lover and hot tea is my tranquil beverage of choice. Research found drinking black tea might improve the body’s defenses and quicken the response to bacteria and viruses. Needless to say, I am delighted to find out that January is National Hot Tea Month! I suppose I will be drinking more hot tea this month, amid our frigid temperatures in honor of National Hot Tea Month. Some of the other special occasions to celebrate this month are:

National Blood Donor Month
Eye Care Month
National Braille Literacy Month
National Hobby Month
National Soup Month
National Staying Healthy Month
National Thank You Month
Oatmeal Month

So find a reason to celebrate every day, even if the day is not designated for something special on the calendar! Enjoy the rest of your month!

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