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