Da Word... 172!

Goooood Morning all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  And what a fine morning it is!  Blue sky, beautiful sun, it is great!  I've been up since 720ish enjoying the awakening of the morning through the windows of my room.  Quite nice quite nice.  Oh, the surgery went well too.  I'm currently in recoop mode with this continuous motion machine bending my knee for me.  I hope you all are having an excellent day and that your are enjoying it with your families, tru!   Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

- Luke 22:43

Aw yeah. Did you catch that? Heh, maybe a lil' background will help.  In verse 43, my man J is prayin' to the father saying if Pops be willing, please take this cup, but His will be done.   Yup, this is that fateful night when my man J gets arrested and goes through the worst treatment ever, including the horrible means of execution known as crucifixion.  The stuff was just about to hit the fan.  Imagine you were J at that very moment.  You know what's about to take place, how much pain you're about to go through, how much betrayal you're about to face (especially from Peter!)... wouldn't you be feeling a little anxious?  Oh yeah.  Wouldn't you hope that there might be another way?  Uh huh.  no doubt.

So J is in this garden.  He's praying.  He's sweating.  He's nervous.  He's scared.  Two things happened.  One, he said let the Father's will be done.  The second, an angel was sent to strengthen him.  My bruthaz and sistaz,  we may come across a path someday that will be tremendously difficult.  And in our minds, we may not want to walk that path.  But deep down we will know that it is the path Pops would like us to take.  Why?  For numerous reasons we may not be ready to even understand or capable to understand.  But rest assured potnas!  Pops will never leave or forsake ya!  NO WAY NO HOW!   If we roll with Pops, and put our trust in him, he will carry us through.  And, no matter the struggle, he will send one or two to strengthen you and to encourage you.

The take away?  Let's engage Pops in the highest levels and accomplish things far greater than we could ever simply by rolling with Pops.  And know that he will strengthen you to take you all the way. 

Aiight potans, gotta bounce and make some calls!  PeACE!

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 171!

Good Morning!

What's uuuuuup!  It's the friday before Christmas potnas!!!! YEAH!  I'm sure a lot of you are taking the day off, heh heh.  Safe travels for of you who will be gong places and Merry Christmas!  Things here are going well.  This week's been a lil' hectic (hence my lateness!!! heh).  I'll be getting ACL reconstuctive surgery today on my right knee at abouuuut... 12:30.  SO, if ya wanna drop a couple prayas for a brutha, feel free. (my florida peeps, that means i won't be comin').  Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

- Proverbs 27:4

BAM!!!!!  Yooooo, when I read that I was like, "TRUUUUU!"   This ain't no lie.  And it hits you right there when you read it.  Heck yeah anger is cruel.  Think back to the times when you were angry... what kind of thoughts coursed through your head?  Oh oh, if we can play them on a screen, peeps might think you were straight evil.  Oh, the things you wanted to do to the object of your angry... maaaaaaaan. 

But that ain't squat compared to FURY!  OH SNAP!  Yo, when we are furious.... boyyyyyyy, peeps better clear the room.  I mean with a quickness potnas.  By the time we are furious, we've got so much emotion invested into the situation that it becomes hard to think, and instead we just act.  And the thoughts rampaging through our minds are all pretty twisted.  In fact, if we could see those thoughts on a screen, peeps might call ya demonic.  But WAIT....... how about jealousy?

Jealousy is like that calm, cold, and eerie state that scares the pants off of everybody.  Why?  Well, you're not angry.  Nor are you furious.  As a matter of fact, it seems that you are devoid of emotion.  In other words, you've come to a state where you are at ease with the things you want to do to this person, this object of your jealousy.  And that means you are capable of anything... without remorse.  Whoa. Sometimes jealousy is also emotion fused too.  Yo jealousy drives people to the most heinous of things.  Jealousy will tear you and whoever is around you apart.... to pieces.  Jealousy is a straight cancer that if not headed off will eat you and everyone you love alive.  Not to mention all the innocent bystanders.  My friends, who can stand before jealousy?  That's like the point where fire goes from a nice orange to white hot.... focused and deadly.

Let's not be jealous of one another, it's too dangerous.  Especially during this holiday season, let's remember that it's not about presents, or who gets what, and all that jazz.  No, it's about my man J da Christ, the ultimate gift to mankind being bestowed upon us. 

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 170!

Good EVENING!!!

What's going on!  Da holiday season is fast approaching.  I can't believe the year is almost over already!  It's crazy!  Heh heh, but time marches forward and new experiences await!  Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it Lord?" he asked.  The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God."

- Acts 10:4

The art of giving, so important!  Checkit, this kat Cornelius was a centurion (a Roman officer with 100 men under his command) in the Italian Regiment in Caesarea.  This kat's family was devout and God-fearing. Not only that potnas, this kat also gave generously to those in need!  And homeboy shot the breeze with Pops regularly (he prayed).  All this info can be found in the first 2 verses.  Suddenly, Cornelius had a vision and saw an angel of Pops speak the above captured verse... and then some.

That is HOT son!   Pops sent an angel to pass on a message of acknowledgment from Pops above Himself!  SWEEET!   Why?  Because, among other possible things, this centurion gave generously to the poor and prayed.  I mean, the angel said exactly why: "prayers and gifts to the poor."  If such acts moved Pops to send this guy, a gentile no less, a personal message of affirmation.... WOOO!!!  Giving and prayer have got to be MAAAAAAAAAAAAAD important!  Taking care of those less fortunate than you are, giving to those who have not, and taking up the cause of the wronged and the fatherless is an act of servanthood and living for more than just oneself.  But also note that prayer was a big part of that too.  We gots to be straight rollin' with Pops potnas!  Just chattin' all the time like the best of buds.  I mean, cuz the straight fact is that  He IS the best friend you will ever have.

So was this the only thing Pops did in response to this centurion's act of selflessness?  Nope, Pops hooked this guy up PHAT!!!!!  He created a divine meeting between this gentile and the apostle Peter (the so-called ROCK of the church)!   Check this, Pops also gave Peter a vision in order to prepare him!  But that's not even the koolest part.  Yoooo, check this, when these two kats met up, Peter dropped da knowledge, and all who heard da message were baptized in the Holy Spirit..... did you catch that?  They caught da Holy Ghost!  God gave them the gift of his spirit!  These gentiles son...  peeps who were not Jews!  This is HUGE... HUUUUUUGE!  (peep Da Word... 127!)   And this, my friends, is the gift God bestowed on this centurion because he willingly gave gifts to the poor and prayed to Pops on the regular.   So, does Pops think highly of giving and prayer?  heh, i think so! 

Take away:  Let us remember to give to those less fortunate than we, and let us remember to shoot the breeze with Pops on the regular. And let us do so not in anticipation of reward, but out of a genuine desire in our hearts.

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 169!

Good EVENING!

What up people?  How ya livin'?  What's the WORD!  Yo last week was CRAZY.  So much going on and a lot of opportunities being opened.  God works in mysterious ways bruthaz and sistaz.  Ultimately a chain of events took place that has opened many doors of opportunity to appear before me.  Props to POPS yo!  I tell ya.  But check this quick kool story:  Trump (yes the Donald Trump) said to me yesterday something like: "I'd like to be your manager."   Yo, that blew so many peeps away.  It didn't hit me really until people started coming up to me saying, "whoa!"  I also started being called, "the voice."  heh.  This all happened in a span of 3 minutes or so.  aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

- Proverbs 26:20

Word!  That's basic potnas.  It doesn't get any simpler than that.  If there is no wood... there is no fire.  But once you start feeding wood to the fire, that fire gets bigger, hotter, and violent.  Now apply that to quarrels and fights.  It's the same deal yo!  If ya got beef with someone, and it erupts into a fight, there is gonna be some problems.  And if ya didn't settle it before the day is gone (like da Word elsewhere suggests), ya might have even more problems... cuz it festers.  But yo, once the gossiping starts, potna you just opened a whole other can o' worms. 

Checkit, a quarrel is between two peeps (or more).  If these two peeps can't come to terms, then a third party might be necessary. But if instead of working toward a resolution, one of these two peeps starts gossiping about the situation to all kinds o' peeps, the world has been given access to a relational info it may have no business knowing.  In fact, the situation has now been hugely complicated. Not only will tempers flare if the other person finds out about the gossip, but lies will begin to emerge.  That story will soon begin to entertain events that NEVER happened! Like a blind purple people eater or some stuff. Things will get blown WAY out of proportion.  And just like feeding wood to a relatively calm fire, the gossip will turn a manageable quarrel into this explosive, violent, and vicious ordeal laying waste all parties involved.  Why would we ever want to worsen our pain?  It makes NO sense, none!  But for some reason some people like relationship crushing, life destroying pain. 

What's the takeaway?  Let's practice some sense bruthaz and sistaz!  Let's not willingly increase our pain or complicate our lives.  That's not where Pops wants us to live.  Life would be the pits yo!  Naw, let's kick the gossiping to the curb so that quarrels can die down.  And that way we can live in the enjoyment of life, the exact place Pops wants us all to be.

Aight potnas!   Gotta bounce, PeACE!

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 168!

Hey All!

Good Morning from FLORIDA!!!   YEAH!  I'm chillin' down in the Florida state!  Except, it's not that warm here in the mornings and evenings!  I was surprised ;-D  heh heh.  Happy Thanksgiving all!  Aight on to.... da Word!

And if by grace, then it is no longer by works;  if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

- Paul (Romans 11:6)

Word!  That's my man Paul droppin' some knowledge.  He's been expoundin' upon righteousness and da Christ, about life and how one is saved, about Israel and the Gentiles, da whole nine.  Right before this part, he was spittin' about how the Prophet Elijah was conversin' with Pops about how Israel was layin' waste to all the prophets and destroying Pops' altars.   He also felt they were gonna kill him next.  But Pops was like, "naw son, i've got 7,000 who have not bowed to Baal."  Real quick, Baal is one of the false gods worshiped back in the day.  See, there was a "remnant" of peeps!   "Chosen by grace."

See, it was not because of any works that these 7,000 became Pops' remnant.  It was by grace!  Pops gave them deliverance.  This remnant chose not to bow down to some false god, but instead chose to remain true to the one true God.  It wasn't by works, it was their faith.  They chose to grasp onto God's grace, a grace that Pops gives freely.  But in order to get it, we gots ta come on out and take it!  It wasn't about the dude who has a phat resume of "good" things that s/he has done for society and for others.  It was a condition of the heart!   Why?  Cuz the most evil of peeps can do "good" things, many times for motives that are selfish.  

So what does this mean?  It means that Pops cannot be won over by works!  Cuz it ain't about works!  It runs MUCH deeper than that.  We can't earn Pops' grace; we can't win our way into His heart and His kingdom.  He's already given it all to us.  We just gotta reach out, accept it and embrace it.  Works, my friends, comes as a result of a changed heart.  And if it were the other way around... then grace would be worth beans son!  And we'd have a whole SLEW of other problems (pride probably being the utmost cancer).  Naw lo, it's grace bruthaz and sistaz!  Grace!  Let you works follow according to a changed heart.

Aight peeps!  Gotta bounce, PeACE!

G_bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 167!

Good Evening!

What's going on potnas!  Thanksgiving is coming with a quickness!  Gonna be tight.  This brutha is heading back to Florida to see da fam and da friends.  It's been a while fa real!  Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

...he heard the Lord's voice: 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

Acts 7:31,32

Yooooo, how about that?  Imagine, you roll up to an interesting phenomenon that, by all logic, should not be happening (in this case, Moses rollin' up to a burnin' bush that wasn't burning...).  And suddenly you hear a voice resonating with such authority and depth, and it says, "I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."   This is HUGE!  The apostle Stephen is before the Sanhedrin recounting this bit of history.  Stephen was chosen to replace Judas, since Judas had died.  Oh, and Stephen was da man! 

N e who, Abraham is the father of the whole Israelite nation.  Yo, Abraham is also the father of Ishmael whom nation of Islam traces some of its roots.  Basically Abraham was it.  Pops and Abraham were mad tight.  Isaac, Abraham's son, was a promise and a miracle.  Abraham and is wife Sarah had Isaac at an age where the tools (if you know what I mean) should have been way beyond the years of child creating functionality.  Pops and Isaac also rolled tight.  And then there was Jacob.  Pops and Jacob were made tight too!   From that point on, Pops introduced Himself a lot as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - three significant and powerful figures in Israel's history, respected to the utmost.

Now why do I belabor this point?  Cuz it's like this, see, we EASILY fall into our comfortable ways and thoughts.  And yeah, we know God is there and is awesome.  But we easily fail to realize the immensity of the being that is GOD... present with us at every moment!  When an Israelite was met with, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob"  yoooo you better believe realization set in with a quickness!  Imagine any leader who has a commanding yet awesome presence, one whom you admire or respect and would never think you'd ever get to meet face to face.  And then suddenly, boom, you are in his/her very company.  That feeling can't be described.  Now if that's Pops....  yooooo, no comparison!   And I bet you we would do a lot of things differently if that realization were constant. 

So let's make it constant and stop playin' games and kidding ourselves!  Let's live as if we are in the constant presence of Pops, rollin' tight with the creator of all things.  Cuz potnas, da fact is, Homeboy is ever-present.  Let's be real and true all the time, not just sometimes. 

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 166!

Good Afternoon!

Today is nice and warm yo!  Low 50s, I was almost sweating.  Compared to the low 30s it was a couple days ago, todays weather is like that of a tropical island, heh heh.  NICE blue sky with a few small scattered clouds and a magnificent sun.  Not to mention all the different colors adorning the trees that have not yet shed all their leaves.  Dope yo. Aight, on to... da Word!

Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

- Proverbs 11:4

Oh yeah!  Da proverbs are BACK potna!  This one is hot too, uh huh!  Wealth is like, the bomb diggity in this country, and in many countries.  But especially in a capitalistic society, the pursuit of wealth is like whoa....  It's basically the ultimate goal: amass a lot of wealth and live la vida king.  I mean, with wealth you can get anything you want right?  With wealth nothing is out of reach.... right?  Well, nothing except the things you can't buy with money, life and love just to name a couple.  It's interesting how da word is in direct opposition to human and/or conventional wisdom.  Here, Pops is saying that righteousness is the ultimate goal, cuz when it comes down to it, it is righteousness that will save a brutha's and a sista's soul.

It's a change in perspective potnas!  And it's waaaaaaay practical.  I mean fa real, what worth will wealth have the day Pops comes to call?  The day when all things material will be extinguished pretty much.  What will matter then?  How much wealth you have amassed?  Or how much love you have poured out onto your fellow man and woman?  Matter of fact, what kind of person would you become even now if you neglected your fellow peeps just to amass wealth?  Yeah you'd have wealth, but your life would be a sorry and pathetic one because you will have no real people in it.  But you def would be surrounded by peeps who would betray you in a second if you ever lost your wealth. So, is this saying that the pursuit of wealth is bad?  Naw lo!   It is saying that when your pursuit of wealth becomes your single goal, far deeper and reaching consequences await you.  

Basically, keep things in perspective.  Let us not allow our pursuit of wealth to cause us to be blind.  Let it not cause us to hate.  Let it not cause us to trample people underfoot on our way up.  Let it not cause us to forget our innate duty to our fellow brethren and sistren.  Let it not destroy our humanity.  For life is just to precious of a thing to waste.

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 165!

Good Morning!

Howdy potnas ;-D  Heh heh.  How was that extra hour of sleep on Sunday?  I enjoyed that one, mmhmmm!  But then I got tripped out around 5:30 when it was pitch black outside... and then I was like, "Oh yeah, it would have been 6:30 had we not kicked the time back one hour."  Aight yo, on to... da Word!

checkit:

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

- Paul (1 Cor. 4:2)

Ain't THAT da truth!  Word!  My man Paul was droppin' some knowledge in this letter to the Corinthian peeps.  He was just talking about divisions in the church in the previous chapter and helping them to realize how ridiculous it was.  See, the peeps were like, "Yo, I follow Paul SON!!!!!"  And others were like, "Brutha pleeeeeez, I follow Applos KID!!!!"  Both Paul and Apollos were apostles makin' da rounds spreadin' da word o' Pops.  But these Corinthian kats started idolizing da peeps doing the spreadin' rather than the entity these kats were droppin' knowledge about. In other words, they done got twisted and caught up in a load of u know what.  They lost sight of the big picture.  N e who, Paul dropped some knowledge about that, knocked them over the head a couple times,and then said that peeps should just view peeps like Apollos and himself as servants of da Christ "entrusted with the secret things of God [4:1]"

BAM!  Yo, if you are entrusted with da secret things of Pops........ yo that is HUGE!  But Paul doesn't yet expound on just how huge, he instead mentions a simple principle: "Yo, those given a trust have got to prove faithul."  That's how it is potnas.  Given a trust, you must prove yourself faithful.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  Trust is no small thing.  It takes YEARS to develop trust, and a split second to utterly destroy it.  Why is that?  Because trusting someone is HIGH RISK!  The risk/reward ratio is not even in the ballpark of reason.  If someone places trust in you, they are putting a LOT on the line, and more than material.  If you break that.... man... watch OUT!  

It would be nice to be able to trust more peeps, but it's tough.  The pain of a broken trust is almost always just too great.  And thus peeps are reluctant to give others a trust.  Imagine how much closer and tighter people would be if only they prove faithful when given a trust!  Yo it would be da BOMB son!!!!  It wouldn't feel so risky anymore. Peeps would open up all the time.  Yo, relationships would fall into the realm of the real.  Facades would soon fade.  Life would be easier to live.  Guess what potnas, we can still experience this!!!!  How you ask?  Prove faithful when given a trust, and take the risk of giving others a trust.  Don't burn a friend, and don't let whatever burning you've suffered in the past hinder you from ever giving another person a chance to have your trust.

Aight playas, gotta bounce.  PeACE! 

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 164!

Gooooood Morning!

How are things going out there?  Fighting the good fight?  Stayin' on your feet? TRUUUUU!   Thanks for the prayers and such, my Grandma is feelin' better.  When I went to visit her last weekend (not this past weekend, the weekend before), she was back home and doin' alright.  Aight, on to... da Word!

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

- Paul (Romans 6:12)

Ohhh!  It's my dawg Paul again, droppin' some knowledge!   TRUUU!  Romans is a good book potnas.  Paul just lays it out from the fundamental problem to the ultimate solution.  Peep this book if you haven't yet!  But n e who, let's get down and dirty with this verse right here.

In this chapter, Paul talks about Christ's death and resurrection, and the purpose behind it.  Da Christ died for us, to pay da ultimate price for sin.  In other words, he done set us free by dying.  And then by being raised up, he gave death the ol' one-two TKO... BAM...BAAAAAAAM!  So not only did homeboy pay da price, he also wiped out any power death has got.  Paul then drops the good news that if we then "die" with Christ, we too can bust open a PHAT can o' whuppin' on death.  But what does it mean to "die" with Christ?

It means turnin' a new leaf, changing our perspective, trying to be like Christ.  It means allowing our old self to die, and taking on this new self, one with MUCH greater rewards mind you ;-D  TRUUUU!  In short, it's being "dead to sin, and alive in Christ."  WORD!  So checkit potnas, if we just pulled a 180, and now are walking towards Pops instead of away, does it make sense for us to allow sin to reign within our bodies?   NAW LO!!!  We got to kick that to the curb son!  Cuz just as the verse says, if we let that good for nuthin', low down and dirty junk reign within' our bodies.... we will be a straight slave to evil desires!  It's a one to one correlation here potnas.  Junk in, junk out. 

Forget that yo!  Let's start feeding our being with some of the good stuff, and weaning ourselves off the bad stuff.  Cuz the bad stuff only serves to bring ya down, to hurt ya, clog them arteries, make ya tired, and slowly kill ya. But the good stuff, yeah buddy!  The good stuff will bring ya up, heal ya, make sure them pathways are straight clear for the blood to flow like a river, boost your energy level, make ya lean and straight HOOOOT, and surely surely bring you to LIFE.  It's nice to be able to look an evil desire in the face and say, "Stand down punk!  You gots no pull with me!  I KNOW you don't want the beating I handed to you last time.  You gots 2 seconds to scram... oh, look, time's up!  Here comes da whuppin'!"   With Pops, you have the power to stand.

Aight potnas, PeACE!

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 163!

Good Afternoon All!

It's monday, and it's 73 degrees!  YEAH!  Actually, that's what the weather globe on my computer says, so it might be hotter in reality.  We are gettin' MAD weather fluctuations up here! N e who, it's my da off ;-D  A lot of companies up here have this day as a holiday, and so do the schools.  It's pretty tight yo.  Oh, one more thing, if you could drop some prayers from my grandma, that'd be awesome.  She's in the hospital with some illness.  Aight, on to... da Word!

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this...

- Mark 8:31,32

In this passage, Jesus da Christ was droppin' some knowledge on his posse da disciples.  He told them flat out and plainly, "Yo checkit, da Son o' Man... yo he's gotta suffer a ton potnas, be rejected by those high on the religious pulpit, and then he's got to be waylayed son - scrubbed from existence.  But yo, after three days, he will rise again."   J was talkin' about himself, da "Son o' Man", one of his many names.  Stop and ponder that for a moment.....

What grabs me about this is how it says my man J said it plainly, like it wasn't no thang.  BOOM, this is how it is plotnas.  J was being real, he knew that stuff was about to hit the fan, and he was gonna receive the brunt of pain and suffering.  But even though he knew this, he was chill.  He knew that by taking this hurt, the price for our sins would be paid.  BAM!  The way would be opened and death would be conquered.  Why did he have to suffer so that this could happen?  Why the pain?  Wouldn't it have been easier to come as a conqueror and wipe stuff out?  Heck yeah it would have, but then what would that have proved?  NOTHING yo!   It's weird, almost paradoxal, but it was through suffering that the greatest good be achieved. 

J suffered and died for you.  Then he rose to defeat death so that we could have a chance.  He did that with unconditional love.  It means two things. One, homeboy is serious about getting us back no matter the cost.  He loves a brutha and a sista way too much to see us wallow in our ignorance and suffer death.  Naw lo, he wants us to experience life and life more abundantly.  Second, if J, da Son o' Man himself suffered like this..... yooo, it means life against the grain ain't no walk in the park!  If you decide to take up this torch, to be a light and to walk in the truth, you will have opposition.  Peeps will both love and hate you.  They will hate that you stand for right, even though secretly they might admire it. 

In this day and age where peeps are driven by money, you will be an anomaly, an individual driven by love.  Your very existence will violate their every notion of what life is about. In other words, the road won't be easy, but the reward so totally worth it.  But yo, what's a few years of suffering, compared to an eternity of blessing?  Imagine that day when you get to meet Pops above face to face kid!  And what joy will be coursing through your entire being when your friends end up being there with you because you chose to be a light to them?  In other words, keep it real potnas.  It will be a tough road, but no one said it would ever be easy. To love unconditionally and to stand for right, to stand for those who can't stand for themselves, is a tough thing, and sometimes a thing where you alone stand.  But, you are never alone ;-D  You ALWAYS have Pops above!  And who better to have backing you up?

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 162!

YOOOO!

What up!  Good evening brethren and sistren!  It gives me great joy to again write to you all about... da Word! Yeah KIIIIIIIIID!  Things over here are going pretty well.  I'm still exercisin' my knee in preparation for a lil' surgery.  I gotta get this bad boy STRAIGHT!  I've also been increasin' my repertoire of dishes ;-D  I love the experimenting; it's a ton of fun, believe you me!  UH HUH!   Aight, on to.... da Word!

checkit:

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

- Paul, Silas, and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 1:2)

Boooyaka!  Did I mention ;-D how much I love the way Paul opens his letters?  Homeboy always lays on the affirmations dawg!  He gives maaaaaad props!  He encourages, and he brings joy.  Maaaan, imagine receiving a letter from Paul, da man himself, and starts out saying, "We are joyous son!  You have grown so DEEP in da faith. It shows in all of your actions and in all that you do!  Your newness of character is light and shines brightly!  Many speak of you and your deeds.  We are proud that you have grown so close to Pops Himself that His light now shines brightly through you."  Potnas, that would be freakin' AWESOME!   But wait, hold up.. that's just Paul.  Now imagine Pops above saying it to you when that day comes!  I mean, imagine, you meet Pops, da creator Himself, for da first time face to face.  He's chillin', your chillin' (and probably shakin' a lil bit, heh heh).  And he says to you, "Well done!  Well done!  My good and faithful servant!  You have loved me, and you have loved many unconditionally.  Many are here because of your faithfulness to me and willingness to listen and to love.  Well done my son!  Well done my daughter!  Well done!"  Yo.... that would be da ultimate bomb diggity!

Aight aight, back to the verse above.  There are bunch of things to note bruthaz and sistaz.  First, note that these are all non-passive actions!  We are talkin' work, labor, and endurance.  Man, that can be some tough stuff.  Paul ain't talkin' about kats sittin' on their jolly and plump booties, enjoying da weather, and watchin' the tube son! He's talkin' about kats who are up and out there potnas,  peeps who are movin' and shakin', they are doing things!  They aren't just sitting idly in the security of their salvation and their faith.  Naw law, they are working to share that security with as many as they can bruthaz and sistaz!  It's not sit and receive, but puff puff give!  Receive some "out of this world" goodness, and share da wealth!

The next thing to note is that of these actions.... none of them were done on these peeps' own strengths.  Naw lo. If that were the case, if the Thessalonians were able to do these things on their own strength, then what need would they have of God?  What need would any have of God?  Naw dawgs, it is because of their reliance on Pops above himself that they could work, labor, and endure to the greatest magnitude!  I mean check it, Paul says, "your work, produced by faith!"  If they had no faith, there would be no work!   It is their faith in the awesome creator, Pops above himself, that prompts them and motivates them to bust out some ill work potnas!  Their faith drives them.  So faith is important. 

Then Paul drops, "labor prompted by your love."  Oh snap!  There, he went and said it!  It was a labor not driven by selfish desires.... because love is not a selfish concept.  They labored for others!  Out of service to their fellow man and woman.  Out of service to their fellow humans!  Yo, they labored because they loved!  They loved so much that they sought to serve one another, in order to build each other up.  Ain't that da bomb?  Imagine if we all started doing that.  You know, stopped looking inward and started looking outward, and did so with love.  This world would be a much better place no?  Matter of fact, your individual circles of relationships would be that much more awesome no?  Give it a try, I'm sure you will not be dissappointed.  So love, also, is important.

Finally, Paul drops the ultimatle clincher, "endurance inspired by hope in our Lord... Jesus da Christ potnas!"  YEAH!  That's what I'm talking about. It all stems from da Lord himself, Jesus da Christ, sacrificed and raised, da Son.  He done paid da price for our sins potnas!  We no longer have to account for them (cuz there is no way we could be let off in the face of Justice).  Da hope is that da Christ defeated death itself and paid for all our badness.  Now we got a free ticket!  And so that is our hope!  Because we have this hope that we can enter da heavenly of heavenlies, we can now be inspired to ENDURE all manner of heat potnas!  Ain't nothing can squash us because we have hold of the hope! 

Faith, love, and hope.  Have you got these three?  If not, whatcha waitin' fo'!?!?  If so, have you been beefin' them up?  If not, better crack the whip potna!  Let's go now!  Ain't no time to dilly dally, let's move!  We've got the doors of Life.... opened to us ;-D

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 161!

Good Evening!!!!

What's going on peeps!  I missed last week yo!   It was HECTIC!  Heh, but everyone's still standin', tru!  How's it going out there?  How ya livin'!   Heh heh, aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety.

- Pops (Ezekiel 34:25)

Da words o' Pops above Himself son!!!!   I encourage you to read the entire chapter of Ezekiel 34.  It's chock full of good stuff, all from Pops' perspective, and using the shepherd/sheep imagery.  It hits on the responsibilities of the shepherds to the sheep, the social contracts among sheep and among shepherds and sheep, da whole nine!  It's quite GENIUS!  When extracted out and applied to the people of Israel, and to Pops wishes for all his creation, it speaks volumes.  It hits on social justice, dignity, service, humility, strength, and more.  Peep it potnas, and study it. 

Eventually I got to the verse above and was encouraged even more!  The gist... Pops has got yo back kid!!!!!!  He promised Israel that He would bring a covenant of peace.  Who does not want peace?   We can struggle for only so long before we are crushed by its sheer and mammoth weight.  A moment of peace is like heaven.  A period of peace... yeah dawg!  That's even better.  Pops above says that he will rid the land of wild beasts.  That's freakin' awesome.  Well, that depends on which side of that equation we stand ;-D  heh heh.  I would NOT want to be a wild beast... not when Pops above is the clean sweeper, oh no no no!  I'd want to be the kat with whom He is makin' that ILL covenant of peace.  For Israel, traveling and living in and about the deserts and forests during mighty dangerous times,  imagine the feeling of peace that would well up within knowing they could live and sleep in safety?  Knowing that they wouldn't have to sleep with one eye open, or constantly glance over their shoulder?  What about for you?

Where are you inhabiting right now?  What kind of wild beasts prowl around?  ...are you the beasts?  Da bottom line is this,  Pops takes care of His own.  What better being would you want in your corner?  Life is tough, and da real world.... maaaaaaaan!  But if Pops is in your corner.... awwwww YEAH!  He'll take care of the beasts and grant us safety even in the most desolate of wastelands.  How you like them apples?  PeACE!

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 160!

Good Labor Day Morning Potnas!!!!


What up!  How many of you have got this fine day off?  SWEEET!  The weather is b...e....a...utiful too!   Ripe for grillin' son!  That's an idea, might have to pull some peeps together and fire up that bad boy, uh huh!  I hope you all are enjoying your day off!  tru dat.  aight... on to, da Word!

checkit:

Finally, brothers, good-by.  Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace.  And the God of love and peace will be with you.

- Paul (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Oh.... OH!  That's my dawg PAUL!  Yeah!   New Testament badmamajamma himself!  This verse right here comes near the end of his letter to the Corinthians.  It's uplifting!  It's purposeful!  And it is inspiring.  It's like a pep talk, revvin' peeps up, gettin' 'em stoked and excited for the journey ahead.  If you get a chance, peep the end of Paul's various letters to the churches that are written in the Bible.  He almost ALWAYS ends with some kind of pep, some kind of grace giving, some uplifting tone.  It's great!  Especially because he probably dealt with a TON of heavy stuff in the meet of the letter.  But ya see, he ends by lifting others up.

So what's he say?  "Yo yo!  Potnas!  Aim for PERFECTION!!!!"    That's hot son.  Who doesn't want to aim for perfection?  Notice he doesn't say be perfect, that would be near impossible. Instead he says aim for it.  And you know what's awesome about that?  We all can aim ;-D  And thus step by step, we can get closer to perfection.  Then he says, "yo bruthaz and sistaz, feel me on this, be of one mind and live in peace."  That's mad tight too.  Who wants disorder, chaos and destruction?  That ain't no fun.  It ain't la vida straight chillin' fa sho'.  But if we can be of one mind, and living in peace, then yo' we will have such a blast interacting with one another that life will be explosive and fulfilling!  But the last sentence says it all.  "cuz potnas, if we can aim to do these things, Pops above HIMSELF, da God of LOVE and PEACE, da illest being out there.... will be with us...will be with you."

Word!  I'll gladly accept a little o' that.  Pops above rollin' with me?  Chillin' with me?  I'm all about it!   So potnas, let's aim for perfection, let's be of one mind, and let's live in peace.  And, "may the grace of da Lord Jesus da Christ, and da love of Pops Above, and da fellowship of da Holy Spirit be with you all" [2 Cor. 13:14].

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 159!

Yo!

Good evening!  It's starting to get darker earlier these days.  A change of seaons is on its way.  Oh wait, low and behold... schools are starting up right about now as well!  Matter of fact, most of our lives will be changing, probably revving up as a "new" year begins.  Great times!  Aight, on to... da Word.

checkit:

"Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit.  With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.  Should I not punish them for this?" declares the Lord...

- Pops (Jeremiah 9:8,9)

Whoa..... stop da music and hold da phone.  Say what!?  Yeah potnas, da mood just gotten grim.  Imagine bein' in the same room when Pops above got upset...... whoa..... whoa...... I have a feeling that would be a very very very VERY scary experience dawg... cuz I mean that is GOD yo!  N e who, let's check into this.

Pops is describing the state of the tribe of Judah, and probably some other kats.  His language presents and image that is none to rosie.  I mean come on, tongues like deadly arrows?  Words with deceit?  Cordial facades in order to pull an evil setup on one's very own neighbor!?  Yo I don't care what anyone says, that sounds REAL bad.  It doesn't sound like a good situation in the slightest.  Imagine being in that kind of situation?  You'd have to be doubly and triply watchin' yo' back son!  Where is the freedom of LIFE in that?  I mean, what else could it lead to?  Let me quote direct from Pops himself (cuz I can't say it much better):

Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers.  For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.  Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth.  They have taught their tongues to lie, they weary themselves with sinning.  You live in the midst of deception...

- Pops (Jeremiah 9:4-6)

DUUUUUUUUUUUDE!   WHOA!!!!!!!  WHOA!!!!!!!   I mean DANG son!  Who would ever want to live in a situation like that?  Or with a family like that?  Some cynics might say, "ey come on man, that's just practice for the real world playa, they just gettin' it early, that's GOOD."  I say BUMP that son.  It's so ridiculous I won't even dignify the thought with a response.  N e who, guess what?  There are regions in the world where this exact habitat exists.... and to even worse degrees.  Do a search for the 10 most dangerous destinations in the world in Google (should come up with a hit to Forbes).  Read da seriously messed up things that happens, make a brutha sick son (and not in the good way).  And, of course, there are MANY sociopolitical and economical factors also involved... but dagnam!  N e way.....

The kicker line is Pops above asking, "Should I not punish them for this?"  Someone once said to me that if God is love and all that, then he shouldn't have to punish people.  Tell me, then, which of these is evil: letting a nation at this state and spiraling to an even more crippled and self-destructive state continue without correction? or lacing down some punishment in an effort to steer people toward reconciliation and growth?  I think if Pop's stayed his hand, I'd stop following him in a heartbeat.  No, even quicker than that.  Why? Cuz it would demonstrate to me a God who has no love for his creation and is willing to let it self-destruct by refusing to give the aid we all know that we need. 

I mean, let's look at it even more practically.  Do you think any kid could make it, or become a semi-decent individual, if his/her parents never ever disciplined him/her?  Do you know the utter chaos that would result? Yo, I grew up and knew some kids who had parents that never told them otherwise, or even an explanation.  All's I gotta say is, whoa, these kids were off son, and on a path to experience a very rough life learning things the hard way... if he or she survived that is.

So what's the takeaway?  Firstly, sometimes exacting discipline is the most loving thing we can do, and witholding it is the most evil thing we can do.  Secondly, let's stop lying and instead speak truth to one another, for lying leads to hurt, hurt leads to distrust, distrust leads to a disintegration of relationships, a disintegration of relationships leads to loneliness, and loneliness leads to the death of the very essence of what Life should be about.  And when no one cares about life, life loses its value, and people start taking it without even a second thought.

Let's bring change.  Change starts with us.  Change starts with you.  Change starts from within.

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 158!

Goooood Evening!

What uP!!!  heh heh.  What's the word on the block potnas?  Anything brand spanking new and maaaaaaad tight?  holla at your boy!  Things here are going well, besides this ACL i tore on my right knee.  YUP!  It's gone peeps.  It didn't hurt that bad when it happenend though.... strange.... PRAISE GOD!   heh heh.  I'm startin' to walk around without crutches a lil bit (experimenting, it's been less than a week, hee hee).  So, if ya gots time, drop a couple prayas for a brutha ;-D  Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand."

- Jesus da Christ (Matthew 12:25)

Yeah yeah, my man J!  what!!!!  Checkit, J had just healed a demon possessed man.  Yeah, that's right, he busted open a HUGE can of whuppin' on them forces kid!  KAPOW!   After he did this, guess who rolls on up?   Da Pharisees.  They never seem to learn it seems.  Odd. N E WHO, they had the audacity to say that my man J did this by Beelzebub... that is to say he is able to drive out demons through the prince of demons.  IN OTHER WORDS... they were sayin' J, of all peeps, is in utter cahoots with straight evil kid.  So J broke down for them.

"Yo, don't u know that a kingdom divided against itself will come crumblin' down with a quickness?  Don't you know utter self destruction is reserved for any city, house, or kingdom divided against itself?  Why would I punk a fellow demon if I were in cahoots with them?  It would straight ludricrous son!  And would only serve to destroy our purpose.  This is war potna, good versus evil, da kingdom of Pops versus the kingdom of da evil one."   BAM!  The whole passage is very insightful and pretty slick too.  But let's check this concept. 

I have no doubt that we all have been witness to an organization, team, or family that was not united, but divided against itself.  I have no doubt we have witnessed how nasty that situation can get: peeps backstabbing each other, harsh environments, anger and hate, revenge, zero trust, etc.  If it doesn't change, that unit of people will be destroyed.  Families go under, harmful near unforgiveable acts occur, peeps are scarred, others become cynical, true joy and happiness is hard to find..... POTNAS!  It's an all around BAD situation for EVERYONE involved. 

Now an organization, team, or family that iss mad tight.... shoot they overcome the GREATEST of challenges.  Those are the units that rise above kid!  They further society, inspire entire communities, win championships, grow into strong and impactfull companies, da whole nine.  These units do not go quietly into the night, they don't give up, they build each other up, they surge forward, and they always find true joy and happiness.  Let us no longer be divided against ourselves.  Take a moment to think if there are any circles that we are a part of that is divided for invalid reasons.  Let's go and make it right,  especially that family circle.

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 157!

Hi All!

Sorry I missed last week!!!!  Brutha is back in the habbit this week ;-D  And man, it is a nice day outside.  For some reason, after the rain, the day becomes amazing.   Okay, on to... da Word! 

checkit:

Whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge; but he who hates correction is stupid.

- Proverbs 12:1

Heh heh, blunt!  I like it when da word is just straight BLUNT from time to time.  TRU!  I mean fa real, it is what it is potnas.  If ya luv catchin' discipline, then ya luv knowledge.  But potnas, if we hate correction, then we are just plain dumb, fatuous even.   Let's go into that a bit... about kats who hate correction.

Kats who hate correction never seem to learn.  Matter of fact, they actually get stuck in the most worst of ruts.  MATTER of FACT... they tend to struggle a LOT for a ton of reasons, many of which could EASILY have been avoided had this person taken to correction.  But NOOOOOO.... this kat is usually way to prideful to accept correction.  This kat is instead more likely to get in yo' face.... with a QUICKNESS. In my experience, this kat tends to get angry... FAST.  They hate correction so much that their mechanism for thwarting it is to develop a character will go ape at the mere scent of correction abrew.  This kat is UNSTABLE!  Unpredictable.  It gets to a point where there is NO tellin' what kind of reaction you will get if you try to pass on a word of knowledge or discipline to this brutha or sista.  Sound like anybody you might know potnas?  I know a couple.  Mmmhmmm.  They begin to "rule by force".  If you question them, woooo, better watch out!!!  Sometimes these kats amass a large organization, many like-minded, and very scary to be a part.  OH, and they might get whatever they want too!  Riches, cars, cribs, da whole nine.  But this kat will miss out on Life.  When times get tough, they will be alone.  When they need aid, they will be alone.  When they near the end of their lives, they will be alone.  See, this kat will probably never know what it is to have a true friend as they will have pushed them all away... and so, they'll likely die... alone.

Dang, all that just by hatin' correction!?  Heh, it's called errosion, and it eventually ripples throught a person's entire being.

On the other hand, kat's who like discipline... they tend to soar.  And actually, they might hate the moments when they receive discipline (sometimes it's not so fun, i mean, how many of you actually like to hear that you are dead wrong and your idea is wack son!? ??).  But the difference is.. this kat will take the discipline, learn from it, and change.  The more he or she does so, the better and faster he or she gets at it.  And you know what?  They soar.  Peeps tend to stick around and like to help them.  Peeps tend to give them more opportunities.  These kats tend to have great friends too, and KEY friends.  Hey, these kats end up becoming mentors and role models.  People start wantin' to be like them.  AND, these kats are not alone when the times get rough.  They, instead, have this amazing safety net underneath that catapults them to new heights.

I think.... I like the repercussions of bein' a kat who likes discipline ;-D   What about you?

G-bless,

   - patrick

ps - there are always exceptions too ;-D

for instance, a kat who loves discipline may use what he has learned for ill gain... ie he/she learns how better to manipulate peeps to his or her own designs.   Let's not be that kat!!!!

for instance 2.... a kat who hates correction may not let that corrode his/her character and push peeps away.  This could result in making true friends, but some who will progressively pass on correction less and less.  So this kat will continue to learn things the hard way (hopefully), but at least he/she will have true friends willing to lend a hand.

Da Word... 156!

GOOOD MORNING!!!!

What's happenin'!  What da deal yo!  What can I say, it's a good day.  Da weather is NICE!  80 and cool, low humidity, that's what I'm talking about, heh heh.  Summer is moving along pretty quickly potnas.  Tomorrow is August... already!   Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?

- Jesus (Luke 10:36)

AWWW YEAH!  My man J!!!  Shonuff ;-D  heh heh.  This piece of dialogue is from the scene where my man J was edumacatin' this one kat (an expert in the law) on the concept of lovin' one's neighbor as one's self.  To get the full background, peep Luke 10:25-37.  But check this!  I've read this many a time, the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  I've also heard it tons.  This time though, I noticed something different!  And it's right there in that verse up above.  See, this expert in the law posed a second question.  He asked J, "Yo, I got this I got this.  But checkit, who is my neighbor?"   And so J proceeded to teach via parable (he is so awesome at this, tru!) and posed a question right back, "Now homeboy, which of da three was a tru neighbor?"

BAM!!!!!   J shifted the focus!!!!  This expert was asking about who his neighbor should be, and J was askin' about who exhibited the qualities of a neighbor!  In other words, J was sayin', "Bruh, you gots to be outward focused man and not particular son.  Ya can't group certain peeps as neighbors, and others as not.  The real focus is, will you be a neighbor?  Will you serve your fellow human?  Will you rise above ego and status and lend a helping hand to any in need?  See brutha, it's about the condition of your heart.  If it's all about you, then you will categorize peeps and you have not love in its truest sense.  But if it's all about people, then you create no distinctions and your love becomes unconditional, knowing no boundaries. It overflows and is given to all, just like my Father Pops above SON!!!!"

And you know what potnas?  That is when we beocome unselfish.  That is when our actions become overflowing with love.  That is when the results will blow our minds, being ever greater than it could have been otherwise.  That is when communities will come together and catapult society to a new era.  That is when Joy will make it's home among us.  Rather than looking for neighbors potnas, let us instead BE neighbors.   One.

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 155!

Yo yo!

Good evening ;-D  How are things going? Anybody doing really awesome things during the summer?  Or visitin' to dope spots? holla!  Things here are going pretty well, except that I'm really hungry at da moment, heh heh.  SO... on to, da Word! 

checkit:

He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Psalm 112:7

"KAPOW!!!!" as Saty would say.  Yo, you have got to peep Psalm 112 and read da whole thing (it's only 10 verses).  It is da bomb!!!!  It speaks to many assurances we have in the Lord and living our lives in a way representative.  These assurances are da bomb diggity!   What's more, they flow naturally from a life that begins to rep Pops, that seeks after Pops, and tries to be like Pops (in character and qualities).   NO DOUBT!    This verse speaks to the ability of a person to essentially become fearless, never wobbly, and consistently steadfast.  Who would NOT want that?  I mean come on, to be always sound, never shaken?  SWEEET!

Bad news won't make this brutha or sista quiver!  No no NO!  Bad news will not have this peep cowering away in some corner.  Checkit, this kat will not fear to embark on a certain path just cuz bad news might come around the corner!  Bad news is bad news potnas.  There is always bad news.  But when it cripples ya because ya fear the bad news itself or the very idea of possibly having to come face to face with it, THAT'S when you got problems!  That's when you become chained. You are not free!   It is when we have no fear of bad news that we are free to move forward, to move on, to open doors that will result in great joy or greater good not just for oneself, but for many. 

And how can we gain such confidence and such freedom?  By trusting in something that is, by definition, unshakable, indestructible, and 100% faithful and loyal.  Whoa whoa, wait a second, wasn't that a description of a very small part of Pops above?  SHO' NUFF!   Imagine what confidence and strength all the other parts of Pops above will bring within us if we trust in him!  Endless yo.  Endless.  Cuz in Pops, our hearts can become steadfast.  There is no doubt He is in our corner.  There is no doubt He will never forsake us.  There is no doubt that He will ever lose.  As such, we have no reason to fear nor for our hearts to waver....  Since there is no doubt, the reason for fear and unease fade away.  You gots to catch a piece o' that yo!  Day by day, place ever increasing trust in He that is a rock.

Aight yooooooooooo!  Time to grub!!!!  Brutha hungry, mmhmmm!

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 154!

Good Evening!

Wow... it is WARMMMMMUH!  Humidity is through the roof son!  This fan ain't hackin' it either.  daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!   ice cubes are hittin' the spot though, tru that.  Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

A fool's talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.

- Proverbs 14:3

Yeah, as you may know, King Solomon penned most of these here proverbs.  I read this one and was like, "fa sho'!!!"  Think about it for a sec.... under most circumstances, what kind of kat always gets it baaaaaaaaaaaaaad?  What kind of kat seems to always get his butt handed to him?   Who seems to always be in some kind of ruckus?  Fools dawgs!  When they speak, they don't think!  And instead, they invite aggression or retaliation.  Potnas, our mouths are dangerous weapons!  Even accidentally brethren and sistren.  So We gots to engage wisdom when we speak.

A fool.... oh man... a sad specimen kid!  Usually this kind of person is also mad prideful.  They let their mouths do the talking before allowing their minds to produce sumtim useful.  The result? They get WAYLAYED!  THWACK! That rod to the back STINGS... literaly or figurtively.  Easiest example, this kat might get into mad fist fights.  Others?  Here are some: heated arguments over worthless things, loss of a job opportunity, loss of a raise or promotion opportunity, loss of connections, loss of friends, loss of the chance to get sumtim at a PREMIUM discount by rubbing a merchant the wrong way, loss of trust and loyalty.... da list is endless.  ALL are like gettin' that big fat rod to the back.  Although not immediately painful, the repercussions will inevitably make its presence known in utterly more painful ways: to the pocket, to your heart, to your self-worth, to your relationships.

On the other hand, checkit, when a wise person speaks, he or she knows how to use words in such a way that unfavorable retaliation is deflected.  These kats know how to make people feel at ease.  They got "sense" yo.  They aren't socially inept, AND they pay attention to the basic psychology of how peeps operate.  We are a very interesting creature brethren and sistren.  It's funny how we respond to certain verbal stimuli. Makin' someone feel comfortable, allowing them to sense they aren't being cheated, and  showing them due respect all while exhibiting an aura of confidence.... works WONDERS potnas!  You'd be surprised just how much too! And thus, you are protected!  That individual won't be thinkin' of doing you wrong, or stabbing you in the back.  Naw lo, instead, this person will want to help you out!  Maybe even provide opportunities you had no clue about!  Or just decide that you aren't worth robbin'.  SWEET!  Now that's what I'm talkin' about.  Using our speech to disarm peeps and providing ourselves and those close to us protection.

So, are we gonna play the fool?  Or are we gonna startin' bein' wise?

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 153!

Good Evening!!!

Yes!  That's RIGHT!  It is EVENING!  Not too bad outside either.  It's starting to cool down a bit too, nice!  But my stomach.... oh man!  It's growlin', brutha HUNGRY!  heh heh heh, I hope all is going well in your various parts of the world, fa real.  Holla back and let a brutha know!  aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

Pride stinks.  The problem is, the proud person is the only one who doesn't smell it.

- Chuck Swindoll

Sumtim a lil' different today potnas ;-D  I was listenin' to Chuck Swindoll on the Insight for Living podcast (PEEP THAT STUFF YO!! It is GOOD STUFF!!!).  He was talkin' about this kat, King Uzziah, who became a straight loser.   A lil' background... apparently this kat took the throne at age 16 since his father had died.  And guess what? This kat's kingdom became TREMENDOUS!  It was da straight bomb diggity.  Why?  Cuz homeboy gave Pops da full PROPS.  As a result, Uzziah was blessed, GREATLY blessed!  His fame began to spread to lands afar.  His people loved him.  And then one day, BAM, he started to believe in his own greatness.... and everything crumbled.

Boom, there it is potnas.  The moment we begin to pump our own so-called glory, our own so-called praise, and our own so-called greatness, is precisely the moment any greatness we might have had plummets.  Why?  Because we become arrogant and prideful.  We cease to acknowledge the contributions of all those around us whom were it not for their mentorship or friendship, we would be no where near the point we are today. 

But it's even worse than that brethren.  See, ultimately our "gifts" are a blessing from Pops above.  Are you mad eloquent?  Are you a straight academic genius?  Do you have a way with people such that anyone who chills with you is instantly joyous?  Are you beyond amazing with your hands?  Does your sense of design outclass all those around you?  All these are specific gifts that Pops above has blessed you with!  We've got to use them to his Glory yall!  Cuz checkit, each and every one of these gifts is but a small and tiny glimpse at just how AWESOME God is, not us.

And checkit, there are tons of people with equally amazing yet unique gifts! All from the same and one... God!  WOW!  Imagine now what other gifts can come gushing forth from Pops himself onto us, his beloved creation!  BABAAAM! The more we recognize that it's all God, and not us, the greater things we will be able to accomplish with those gifts for our actions will be blessed by none other than Pops above himself.   And, as a nice bonus, we escape the pitfull of arrogance and pride whose stench destroys rather than creates.

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 152!

Good Afternoon!!!!

4th of July is MANANA!!!   I'm enjoyin' my day off today as well ;-D  heh heh.  What's the word out there?  What's going on!  What plaaaans have you?  This week looks to be awesome, including next weekend.  I also hit a quarter century this week!  Gettin' old potnas!!! hah hah.  N e who, on to... da Word!

check it:

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

- Proverbs 11:3

Word.  I can't say it any better.  That right there is da straight truth potnas!  Integrity will guide a brutha or a sista into all that is good and right... duplicity, on the other hand, will straight wipe da flo' with you.  It's as simple as that!  Viewed this way, it's pretty E to the Z to know which path we'd probably wanna take.  Nevertheless, peeps be confused!!!  WHY!?!?!  Oy y vE! 

A duplicitous sack of tomatoes... HAH!  This person is DESPICABLE potnas!  Ya can't trust this person.  You never know whether or not this lowlife will be reliable.  There is no DOUBT that this wannabe is straight phony!  When this dude is found out, he amasses MORE enemies.  He/she loses the entities whom might have become sincere friends.  This person is cutthroat!  The abomination could care less about the humaness of humanity.  Such a person is capable of the most heinous evils.  He/she would lead people... only to then place them in the path of utter destruction for the purpose of selfish gain.  This kat wouldn't stop to think about abandoning someone who ignorantly placed trust in him in order to save his own neck.  Eventually, this person will fall to the mercy of those similar in kind, and none will stand to defend him.  As a result, this unfaithfulness, this duplicity, will destroy such a pitiful excuse of a being.

A person with integrity, on the other hand, is da bomb diggity! Such an individual will not pursue things that are false.  A kat like this won't stab a brutha or a sista in the back.  This potna will not take selfish advantage of those who do not know better, nor will he/she trample underfoot the "weak".  Yoooo, a person with integrity will not compromise himself or herself!  This soldier will stand in the face of adversity, will endure the flames of opposition, will inspire others to rise above the status quo, and will spur legions on to victory!  Peeps will respect a kat like this.  Peeps will stand for a kat like this.  Peeps will endeavor to become like this kat. Such a person has an inner courage that cannot be defined in words!   As a result, this integrity will guide this unique individual into life. 

Now tell me, which would you rather be?  Let's elevate ourselves to the next level.

G-bless,

   - patrick

ps -

duplicity - acting in bad faith; deception by pretending to entertain one set of intentions while acting under the influence of another

integrity - the quality or state of being complete or undivided; firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values, incorruptibility

Da Word... 151!

WHAT UUUUUP!!!!!

Yo, what's kickin' potnas?  How ya livin'?  FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND BABY!!!!!  It's gonna be off the hook!  Checkit, I get out of work early on friday... AND I get monday and tuesday paid holiday...... BAM!   Not to mention all the events that are sure to be goin' down.  How you spending your 4th of July Weekend?  I hope your livin' it up, heh heh.   Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

- Peter (1 Peter 5:5)

Humility, aww yeah!  That is one character quality that is TOUGH to master.  I mean everyone wants to stand out!  Everyone's wants to be like, "Yo, recognize da skillz kid!"  It's extremely EASY to feel proud and pump ourselves up.  It makes us "feel" good too.  Alas, therein lies the irony.  Pride can be a killer.  It can make us feel good, yeah... but at the same time it can and will destroy many of your relationshihps in the process.   It will burn bridges like CRAZY buthaz and sistaz!  That, in turn, results in lost opportunties in the future.  Furthermore, you'll find yourself pretty quickly becoming alone.  As if those weren't bad enough, now you'll have Pops above HIMSELF opposin' ya!   Who in their right mind would want the God of da universe, the quintessential being, the center of everything that is.... against you!?!?  I mean, that is LUDICROUS!

Now, being humble, aww yeah, that's where it's at.  The ability to squash ego and not rub our achievements or skillz in the faces of others.  The ability to recognize that, yooo, there is ALWAYS someone out there who is much better. There's always someone who can top you.  And of course, God tops anybody without even lifting a pinky playa!  It's better to recognize that Pops above blessed you with your skillz.  And to be thankful!  Cuz there are others who would LOVE to have them skillz, but Pops bestowed them upon you!  That is freakin' awesome! 

Furthermore, the humble kat is also usually the popular kat.  Popular in the sense that he or she is likely never alone, AND are encircled by REAL friends, not the fake ones.  There always peeps who like them, like hanging out with them, who look up them, and who learn from them.  People who seem to have it all, yet remain humble and down to earth, are like GEMS to our eyes.  Yo, I'm tellin' you, people will WANT to present you with amazing opportunities!  Your life will be SO much more fulfilled and joyous too!  WOW, all those benefits of being humble sound mad tight eh?  But check THIS:  God HIMSELF gives grace to the humble...... BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!  God will have your back?  God will bless you even more?  God will give you GRACE!?  That's the icing on the CAKE.  I don't know about you, but to me, being humble sounds like the freakin' bomb diggity!  

Let's be humble.  Let's challenge ourselves every day, in the small things, and in the big, to be humble.

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 150!

Good Morning!!!!

I missed last week, doh!  Things have been kinda hectic, but no worries ;-D  heh heh.  Weather is getting nice too.  Summer is here and the city has come alive with tons of events, festivals, food, da whole nine.... it's AWESOME!  How about your neck of the woods?  Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

These have come so that your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

- Peter (1 Peter 1:7)

BAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!!   What am I bamming about?  The fact that hardship, though tough, works in our favor, hah hah!  That's mad counterintuitive ain't it?  How can hardship work in our favor?  I mean, hardship is far from being the number one desired morsel on anyone's plate.... ANYONE.  But you see, the thing about hardship is it tests our very resolve.  It tests the stuff that we think we are made of.  It tests our apparent limits.  It makes us genuine.  BAM, there it is right there.  You want to be strong?  Ya gots to be tested.   In any part of life, to gain strength, that part must be tested. 

Now Peter is talking about faith here, cuz back in the day the suffering and persecution of the early followers was beyond huge.  It would have been E to the Z to just up and quit.  But Peter is encouraging peeps to stay strong, to remain in the race.  Why?  Because that faith is of greater worth than gold.  Not only that... gold, despite the fact that it can resist flames, perishes!  BUT.... faith... faith will not perish.  All these hardships and sufferings that just kept droppin' a mega whuppin' on these peeps came so that their faith can be proved genuine.  So that it can be made UBER strong, rendered practically indestructible, and causing peeps to put their trust fully in Pops above.... and then kick back and watch Pops above go to work, YEAH!!!! 

So what's the take away?  Embrace hardship bruthaz and sistaz, and change the perspective from which you look at it.  Think of hardship as an opportunity to build you up into this near indomitable being both because your resolve is built up AND your trust in Pops will grow by leaps and BOUNDS kid!!!!  Almost anything worth having requires some struggle.  But once attained, it is def more precious to you than all those things that have come easy.  It is deeply more appreciated.  And, you will fight all the harder to ensure you never lose it.

Aight peeps, gotta bounce.  PeACE!

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 149!

Good Morning!

What's the word on the street potnas!  What's new?  What's kickin'?  Things here are going well.  The sun is out today, and the temp is quiiiiiite nice.  Much much MUCH better than all the rain we had friday and ALL DAY saturday... oy!   Nevertheless, the weekend was fun!  Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time

- Peter (1 Peter 1:5)

Awwww YEAH! da Pops Shield!!!!  That's a straight bonafide, indestructible aegis if ya ask me, mmhmmmm!  You can't get no better ;-D  Trust me, heh heh.  Peter, another new testament badmamajamma, starts by givin' up honor where honor is undoubtedly due, to Pops above kid!  Now Peter, he was one of my man J's inner circle.  Matter fact, Peter was in the inner inner circle of 3 dawgs... 3.   And, yooo, this kat denied my man J to his face in his greatest our of need (the time before da crucifixion when all manner of kats were denyin' they ever knew Jesus).  I mean, we can't blame the dude, those times were straight DANGEROUS.  But the impact of such an action was used for good, cuz now our boy Peter is a veritable ROCK kid (J's own words, Peter would be the rock upon which he would build his church).

So, back to the shield.  Peter has been there first hand, experienced first hand, seen first hand, and any other first hands you can think of, the tremendous power of Pops above.  If ya peep versus 3 and 4, you'll understand even more why Peter starts out givin' Pops mad props!  And not just for what Pops has done for him, but for all of us, each and every one. And thus Peter is beyond confident in Pops above.  And, what's mad nice, is that those who have FAITH in Pops above, are SHIELDED by God's very own power!   I mean, who can defeat the power of God yo?  What power exists that overshadows da immearsurable, pulsing power of Pops kid?

NONE!  NADA!  ZIP!  .... how hot is that!? If you are protected by da power of Pops, shoot, you have nothing at all to worry about cuz ain't nuthin can top that kinda power.... just gotta have faith potnas.  Ya gotta believe God, ya gotta roll with him, yall gots ta be tiiiiiiight, he's gotta be your boy and your friend.  How awesome is it that Pops can both be God (the immensity of which is numbing in its own right) and friend... at the same time.  Grab ahold of your aegis brethren and sistren, cuz he's already reaching out to grab ahold of you.

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 148!

Good Morning!

How are you!  Hungry over here, heh heh.  Just had me some leftovers for breakfast... MIghTy TaStY!  But brutha still hungry, mmhmmmmm!  I do have this jar of peanut butter chillin' to my left........  Aight, on to.. da Word!

checkit:

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:10

That is some love potnas.  Matter o' fact, that kinda love is most def TOUGH to achieve.  I mean, we are talking about lovin' another whether or not they love you back.  But wait, that's not all.  It's also lovin' that person with such a depth of love that you would go so far as to sacrifice something truly important to help or save this person who may or may not even love you, or acknowledge your very existence.  Oh oh, but wait, the buck doesn't stop there.  We are talking about a love that is unconditional and non-discriminating.  In other words, this love is extended to anybody who is anybod -- EVEN those kats who mock and disrespect you to your face kid!

Now you tell me, is that kinda love easy?  In order to love like that, yoooo, you really gotta know what love is!  And it's gotta be a part of your very being homies!  OOOO, but checkit... God has always harbored that kind of love!  That is ILL potnas!  Pops above loves us that much... and then some.  Now, imagine if we seek to grasp and internalize even a glimmer of that kind of love.   One word.... WHOA.....WHOA.... it would radically change communities son!   It would be beyond awesome if EVERYONE sought to achieve that kind of love.  Sadly, that won't happen whilst we live in this broken world.  But that doesn't mean it can't happen! 

Bruthaz and sistaz, it starts with you.  Don't settle for the status quo, rise above and hold yourself to a higher plateau.  Love even though others hate.  Love those who could careless.  Love those who are hard to love.  Love those you just wanna smack (oh man... those ones.. ooooo, heh heh).  Love those who love. Love unconditionally and non-discrimnatorily.   Keep doing that and pretty soon there'll be one or two people around you doing the same thing... then a couple more.  And guess what?  You'll have a little bit of heaven right here right now.

Word.  One.

G-bless,

   - patrick

Da Word... 147!

Hey hey!

What UP!  How ya livin'!?  The sun came out over here!  Yeah, it reared its head yesterday, busting through the immensity of clouds, slowly clearing the sky of the rain's wrath.  And today, the sun was out all day!  YEAH!  I missed most of the rampant raining since I was at E3 last week (off da HOOK son! also why I missed sending out da Word last week).  I heard it was non-stop!  N e who, give up some prayers for those spots underwater.  On to... da Word!

checkit:

One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

- Luke 6:12

Word.  My man J, went out to pray, and spent the night doing it.  That's a LONG time potnas!  Homeboy up and went to a place where he could be alone, and alone with Pops above... to get his convo on dawg!  Let's try to put this verse in context before diggin' further.  The next couple verses talk about J selectin' a certain 12, designating them apostles, from among all his disciples.  These are the 12 you keep hearin' about.  Anywho, he then rolls with these kats to some towns and straight brings the mighty hand of healing to maaaaaaaaaaasses of peeps yo!  It was ILL!  Peep Matthew chapter 10. Going into a little more detail,  it says that J sent these apostles out to unleash healing as well after having given them the authority to do so.

What kind of healing?  It runs the GAMIT kid!   Sickness, death, demonic possession... all could not hold the line against the coming onslaught of holy righteousness about to come raining down, oh no no NO!  But checkit... this only happened after my man J slipped away to pray... all night... and with Pops above alone.  BAM!  Something major was about to go down.  Not only that, my man J had to make some big decisions about on whom to bestow authority, what towns to visit, and what instructions to give.  Huge huge HUGE! 

What does this mean for us?  A couple things... when sumtim big is about to go down, it's prolly a good GOOD idea to chill with Pops for a hot minute, straight shooting the breeze and enjoying each other's company, and seeking His direction and advice for the path you should travel.  Cuz ain't no WAY Pops will lead you astray.  Ya heard!  And that's da truth, buhlee dat!  heh heh.  Secondly, we ought to make time for Pops kid!  Pops isn't just some amazing, unapproachable God entity sitting on a throne far away from us insignificant ants.  Naw bruthaz and sisaz, He is a God who would LOVE to just sit and chat with you and to have a bonafide relationship with ya.  Have you ever been able to build a strong, uplifting relationship with someone... without communicating with them?  No, that's impossible.  It's the same with Pops.  We can't expect to fully engage in the illest relationship possible if we don't chill with Pops.  So, slow down!  Take pause kid!  Take Pops out for once, and enjoy hanging out.  I promise you won't regret it.. and that you'll reap totally unexpected and awesome blessings as result.

Aight potnas, gotta bounce!  PeACE!

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 146!

Hey hey!

Good evenin' people!  How ya livin'!  I hope well, tru! TRU!  Apparently it's rainin' like CRAZY!  Fortunately, I missed the torrential downpour each time I've ventured into the open air.  Praise POPS!  Hah hah!  Aight aight, on tooooo.... da Word!

checkit:

1 ...Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.  3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

- J (Luke 12:1-3)

Oh snap!  It's my man J... da Christ!  In these few verses right here, J was droppin' some knowledge, some warnings if you will, to his potnas da disciples.  He was warnin' them to be on guard!  To avoid the pit that is hypocrisy kid.  And that is so on point.  But why?  Why should a brutha or sista avoid hypocrisy (you know, despite the obvious thing... that it's just plain wrong son!).  Well, J basically spits it like this, "Listen dawgs, all that you do, even in the so-called 'secret', will be made known!  It will be spat from ROOFTOPS kid! You know much that would bite?  yoooooo... you want none o' that, trust me."

See, the things that tend to happen in secret, in the dark, in places where there is no light, or in hushed tones tend to bear on unwholesome... u know, straight wrong or even eeeevil!  Cuz if it wasn't, why would we be tryin' ta hide it?  And that is, to hide it in such a way that certain people or all people will never ever find out... at least that is the hope.  You know how much stress that will cause?  psshhhhh, forget that stuff potnas, I'd rather be livin' la vida free.  There is no way a deep, dark secret will remain secret.  It's waaaaaaaaaaay too much work to keep it so, and you're bound to slip up somehow... someway.  And when that happens, a leak occurs... before you know it, the floodgates burst open, and there ya lay, bare and shamed. 

So why even create the opportunity for that to happen?  There is nothing to gain from it, but all to lose.  Naw naw brethren and sistren, let's heed what my man J has got ta say!  Let's not do things in the dark. No no no NO, let's always do things in the light!  If we have no secrets, we have no chains to bear us down, keep us on lock, and make life all the harder.  If we have no secrets, we can fly like straight eagles kid.  We can soar for there will be no burdensome weight holdin' us down.  Let our actions and our thoughts live in the light, thereby granting us the freedom to enjoy and partake in life to the fullest.  Don't waste time hiiiiidin'!  Come on now!  For life awaits you to grasp a hold of it!  To cherish it!  Time is waaay too precious, and life waaay too magnificent to dwindle the both away in the darkness.

Aight PEEPS!  I gotta bounce.  PeACE!

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 145!

Hey hey!

Good afternoon!  Hope your day was ILL!  It was NICE outside today people.  Not a cloud in the sky, a nice breeze, and a great sun shining its rays on down.  All the spring colors are coming out too!  Straight BEAUTIFUL!  TRU!  Aaaand my apartment has got a packed fridge!? heh heh, YEAH!  Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

- Solomon (Proverbs 25:11)

That's got a nice ring to it eh?  "Like apples of gold in settings of silver" -- wooo!  Like you're livin' la vida, "YO!  I'm SET dawg!  I am well taken care of kid, uh huh!"  This piece was written by Solomon before he flipped a switch and went straight crazy.  N e who, that proverb right there makes good sense.  If you can lace together words that fit a situation like a glove... BAM!  They will seem like the heavens are opening up and pouring out mad blessings upon the recipient.

I mean, think about it, how many times has someone said sumtim to ya that so aptly, appropriately, suitably, or pertinently fit your situation that you were just STUNNED and taken aback?  You might have been like, "whoa... yeah....yeeeaah....YEAAAAH!  that's right! that's so it potna.  Da light bulb just went on full and I can hear angels singing!"   heh, but yeah, how did you feel about it?  And what happened as a result?

So how can we increase our aptly spoken word skillz?  Here's one thing that'll be able to boost that skill about ten-twenty fold... you ready for it?  One word... listen.  Yeah that's right!  Listening potnas!  A whole new world will be opened once we stop for a second, and just listen.  You won't believe how much clearer things will get, trust me!  hah hah.  By listening, we can get a better picture of what's going on.  It's almost E...to the Z potnas, I'm tellin you, to then bust out with an apt word so SIC.... its like "apples of gold in settings of silver."  You'll be straight floorin' kats left and right!  ...once you have context.  

And you know what's the best thing about it?  The benefits that arise as a result are two-way!  Both the receiver and the speaker get sumtim good out of it.   Both get uplifted, situations are made clearer, and doors of opportunity start blasting open left and right.  So, bruthaz and sistaz, let's work on our ability to dish out apt words in any myriad of situations, from relationships to business, and everything inbetween.  word.

G-bless,

  - patrick


ps - i should mention, sometimes an apt word STINGS.... but since it's apt, the receiver will eventually see its true merits, and again, "apples of gold in settings of silver" take there place.

Da Word... 144!

YOOOO!

Good afternoon potnas!  How was your Easter?  I hope it was the bomb.  I had a fantastic meal in Long Island.  I'm talkin' biscuits, lasagna, leg of lamb, mashed potatoes, POUND CAKE (MMMM!!!), it was awesome.  And I got to spend it with a family so tight that they instinctually worked together to bring a crying child to instant laughter.  It was so fluid and effortless, it looked like it was planned.  The amazing thing is that it WASN'T!  They were so in tune with each other that it just happened.  It was amazing.  In other news, http://dawordonline.blogspot.com has launched!  Not quite where I want it yet, but BOOM!  You should be getting these direct from that now ;-D.  Peep it!  Aight, on to... da Word!

checkit:

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

- 1 John 1:6

Ain't that da truth!  Say it again brutha!  We can't have both, that's ludicrous potnas!  I mean, think how silly it is to say, "Yo check this kid!  I can breathe IN and OUT...... ALL AT THE SAME TIME SON!!!!  check it check it!"  No no no NO!  Of course you can't, it's an impossibility.  Nor can you use your bicep and tricep at the same time to both curl and extend.... they are opposing muscles!  It's either one or the other potnas, that's it.  In this same way, yoooo, we can't claim to have fellowship with Pops above AND walk in the darkness!  We are either one, or the other.  Bottom line kid!  Why can't we do both?  Da previous verse gives us a glimpse, "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."   BAM. 

So if we are doing both, what are we actually doing?  Simple... straight pullin' the biggest lie of them all that's what!  If we are doing both, we actually are ONLY walking in the darkness.  Now, this bad enough.  I mean, lying to our very selves, contradicting our own minds and souls and bodies?  Sounds like a kat whose GOT to be locked up in an asylum or sumtim, heh heh.  But why is this action exceptionally bad?  Well.... we end up causing OTHER people to stumble.  THAT... potnas, is not kool.  Misleading someone so that they end up heading up the path destruction... whoa... whoa.... that is straight evil kid.  I don't know about you, but I definitely don't want to be fooling myself, and I MOST DEFINITELY do not want to be the cause of someone else's utter  hardship, demise, or destruction.  I wouldn't be able to sleep at night, no doubt.

Let's not attempt to both walk in light and walk in darkness, cuz it can't be done.  Let's be real and keep it real.  Life will become a lot less complex, trust me ;-D  PeACE!

G-bless,

  - patrick

Da Word... 143!

Hey hey!

What up all? How things goin'? Well I hope. Weather is gettin' NICE! TRUUUUU! We are startin' to see color in the vegetation up in here. Definitely breathtakin', no doubt! Aight, on to.... da Word!

checkit:

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling."

- Peter ( 1 Peter 4:9 )

One of my man J's inner circle of 3, Peter the so-called rock, re-instated badmammajamma of an apostle, spits it plain and simple, "Grumblin' is WACK kid. Kick that garbage to the curb potna!" No doubt! What purpose is there in offering hospitality to a brutha or a sista with ill vibes in your heart? The act of hospitality diminishes in value with a QUICKNESS when our intent behind it is far from altruistic. In other words, if we ain't cookin' up some grub for a brutha or a sista, providin' a place to just kick it and relax, or straight servin' up some ice cold lemonade with a heart of givin', then our so-called "good deed" is da pits son! Straight worthless.

The two words, "grumbling" and "hospitality" shouldn't even be in the same sentence! They don't go together -- not in the slightest! Naw potnas, let's not grumble when we do an act of kindness, especially with a brutha or a sista. Let's be tru to ourselves, to our souls, and to our friends. You want relationships that are strong, deep, and real? Then be real and tru, be loving, and be joyous in being selfless. I promise ya, your state of being will be elevated to the next level. Cuz then you begin to catch what my man J was spittin' and livin' and you start experiencin' the depth of life Pops above so desires for each and every one of us to have.

Aight potnas, gotta bounce! PeACE!

G-bless,

- patrick