♟♟♟
My husband has played chess since he was a kid living in the Bronx. He was and still is very good at chess. 

For years he had a chess board in every room of his and then our living spaces and in the trunk of his car, always prepared to play a game with a friend or stranger. He's always stated his goal to train others so well that they beat him at the game. He has truly meant it. 

When we teach, parent, disciple, or mentor people to be better, stronger, wiser, and more knowledgeable, what is our reaction when they get the lessons and use all that on us? Are we/AM I/Are you glad or offended? We should be glad because they've learned and are bold enough to stand for themselves and in what they've gained, even when they disagree with or have come into better knowledge or wisdom on a subject, act or personal decision.
Our reaction to them walking in light we've taught, brought, modeled or facilitated, will indeed clarify our motivations for leading them. 

Let's not have the superior attitude that "I taught you. You can use it on others, but you can't use it on me". Hmmm...♟♟♟

Clarity - Called to BE Thought-Provoking.

+ Intentionality, meaing Focused on all aspects of life (visual, auditory, humanistic, naturalistic, spiritual, secular, moral, immoral and carnal) to discern thought-provoking moments that will explain, correlate, value, or appropriately devalue meanings, so as to give insights aimed to open the understanding to individuals, so as to lead to life changes for the better.

+ Urgency as in NOW & ALWAYS, because it is l-i-f-e, meaning I am CALLED TO BE THOUGHT-PROVOKING (as was Jesus from his virgin birth to conquering the grave/death/hell. Reference Matthew 10 KJV). Therefore, I am always on 'the job'/on the CALL.

= Extraordinary Results such as much volunteerism work in the church, non-profits and various communities, daily spiritual motivational radio spots for 10+ years, books, social media, epistles, sermons, letters, and verses.)

(https://www.facebook.com/WOFFamily/videos/495246469741332/?app=fbl at the 1:05:00 mark.)

Powerful, needed sermon by Pastor S J Roberts. Click to view.  
https://youtu.be/FAMniAUiKrQ?si=9D1GZr9g6wGNyjz3

For me, the years below were some God-requested 'routine-changing' years. 
I'll do it again.

1984.
1990.
1995-1996.
1998.
2001.
2004.
2006.
2008.
2-0-1-7!
Next!

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​#1 Salt With The Sacrifice, written over a span of 2 or 3 years and self-published in 2004, encourages people to get involved in some type of ministry of helps, and is based on Leviticus 2:13
"And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt."  Salt With The Sacrifice is a call to Christians to recognize that although we are under grace, God continues to expect us to offer sacrifices in the areas of our time, talents, and spiritual giftings. Based on Leviticus 2, God also expects us to offer salt with those sacrifices. The salt is that extra part of ourselves that we think we cannot afford to give. In finding and offering the salt is where we learn to keep commitments, die to self, mortify the flesh, purify our motives, and heal our inner man. This is a guide that will help you learn how to get involved in the work of Christ and your local church. 

​#2 Poems For Women: Black Women, All Women, completed in 2009 and self-published in 2023, is mainly about significant other relationships but may describe unavailable parents, leaders or even bosses. These poems fit people in every race, economic group, educational level, country, religion and culture: Households in villages that wear flip flops and work in the hot outdoor marketplace, in cities that live in condos and wear suits to the office, in towns that live in apartments and wear ball caps to the factory/plant/warehouse or uniforms to the medical/restaurant/service industry jobs, or in communities that live in houses and wear dress casual attire to retail jobs. You will find your situation in this book. 

#3 My Next Pastor, completed in 2012 and self-published in 2024 is journal-like in describing experiences I and others never want to have again with pastors who act badly or against God's will concerning the Sheep/Church Members/Congregants. This book began as a 'Will' AND 'Will not' pattern. Somewhere along the years of writing, I removed the 'Wills'. At this moment, I can't recall why, but I do have the MNP 'Will' pages and will consider publishing...hmmm... a Vol. 2! 


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Consider this:
The Promised Land for your high school graduate = College.

Upon entrance into the Promised Land, ‘And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. ‘ Judges 2:11-13

You've promised your children college knowing they will meet people with evil intentions, people not raised in Christianity like they were, people pressuring them to do things they have never done before, situations they need to avoid, and most especially situations they WANT to get into. 

I've heard parents prepare their new college student with warnings, situations they should and better definitely say NO to, instructions on how to do some of the things they've never done before (like giving them alcohol and teaching them how to realize when they've drank too much), how to fake smoking weed if they can't get up the courage to say NO, how to smoke weed since "everybody is doing it, anyway", how to not get date raped, how to avoid sex, how to have sex and a supply of birth control to go with the conversation, etc.

Parents know their kids. 
They know which one will say NO, no matter what and with courage.
They also know which one will be afraid to say NO, and needs preparation for courage or how to come out as least affected as possible.
They know which one will want to jump right into whatever is offered as fun and daring.

SO, how do parents prepare their children for the Promised Land College without helping them 'worship baal' and baal's not-so-wholesome/downright sinful offerings?

The question is, when it comes to teaching their soon-to-be college student how to do things parents know their kids may inevitably partake in, is that the same as encouraging them to worship the baals of the Promised Land called College...with the added instructions on how to do it carefully and not get taken in by the baals to the point of losing their belief in or grip on God?




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​​During this change in 'seasons', some things are still not seen as absolute but it's getting better!

Some: Let X through. X is a senior.  Go on, Ma'am.
Half way up the line -  
Others: That's not a Senior. She can wait  LOL! Ya'll Seniors (other people) can come up first.
A few: Silence. Confusion. Staying out of it.

Some: Stand back. Let the 'young folk; do all the work.
Others: 'Slow down' and let the others do the most.
The Senior:  Not a 'young folk'. Thank you AND you are forgiven. Let's all do the work together.  

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Side note: This reminds me of some situations I've experienced. I became aware of it maybe 20 years ago.
New 'situations' coming into my/our world (different places/types of places)  where there is a problem from which the people can't get relief. When it begins to happen to me, suddenly, I become the ONE they start fighting for because they think or know things won't be changed solely for them but might because it's happening to me (whoever they've seen ME to be).  Like "Okay. If you don't think I'm worth changing it for, then change for her because you shouldn't let HER go through this."  

Well, okay, BUT THEN, I become the one people fight over. The 'Please fix this for HEr' vs the 'What makes her so important that we need to fix it?" groups (By the way, most times, the issues were fixed...for ??me??)   Things changed in a couple of situations in different places, yet, when more than one situation happened in the same place, and I was chosen as the one that things should be fixed for, I got fatigued with being the ONE and people tired of hearing about me and of me even, though they knew I didn't start the stuff and was just chosen by the others who were suffering.  It became a 'Get rid of her and everything will die down' because we can live with it all happening to us.  We'll wait for someone else to come along to hold out in front of us as a reason why the problem needs to be fixed.'  My response: Don't cooperate in the strugge so the me part of it will finally fade OR help the others get some self-esteem so they would think they were worth fighting for and get them to fight for themselves, instead of looking for someone they think is "better"/"more in need of justice"/even weaker... Relief!  
​

​


​

I know how this feels. I'm sure some of you all do, as well. Surely, parents definitely experience this in day-to-day life dealing. Other will documented disabilities or other abilities, and those assigned or labeled as 'not as capable as others' because of race, gender, socioeconomic history, etc.

Think about the ones who get (and stay!) angry that and about what we speak or write or live - however we express ourselves. That's them 'fighting us'. Then we hear them repeating or teaching or see them walking in what we've expressed. That's their way of 'building monuments' to us. They also continue to seek more from us because we win...them over whether we try to or not, are aware or not, care or not.

Google Jamarion Styles. He won!

Nicholas Klein, a trade union activist, said something similar in a 1918 speech, saying, “First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. And then they attack you and want to burn you. And then they build monuments to you.”
Mahatma Gandhi -- First They Ignore You, Then They Laugh At You, Then They Fight You, Then You Win.


***
Monument - something that serves as a memorial.
Synonyms of win - reach, procure, gain, achieve, acquire, secure, obtain, overcome, triumph, prevail, conquer.

You can still complain.

When we find ourselves in a sticky situation of our own doing, we may feel hesitant, ashamed, or not allowed to complain, vent, or seek advice about the bad parts of the situation. Don't. 

Don't what? Don't feel hesitant, ashamed or not allowed to complain, vent, or seek advice about the situation you willfully and knowingly did wrong and got yourself into.

"You're tired? You shouldn't have had that baby out of wedlock. Don't bring it over here."
"You need help with your note? You shouldn't have bought that house/car/etc. I don't care if you lose it. I'm not going to get my attorney to help you."
"She gets on your nerves? You shouldn't have gotten with her knowing she was already married when you met him. I'm not going to counsel you."

People will say "You made your bed. Now lie in it." That's people - humans who have no compassion, no memory of the messes they made, or was forced by self or others to just lie in their mess thinking they had no right to not  like  or complain about the situation.

Consider this example: 

Someone tells a child or adult to not go in that patch of greenspace over there.  The child or adult goes anyway. The child or adult gets poison ivy. Regardless of how the person got the poison ivy rash, the person still deserves healthcare that will relieve the symptons and heal them of the poison ivy rash. Right? Right?

How did you get your "poison ivy" rash?
There will be some who are sympathetic but afraid to show you that sympathy.
There will be some who are unsympathetic and will refuse to offer you aid.
There will be some who are unsympathetic but will aid you because they see your need and are in the business of helping people with their needs regardless of who they got in need.
All the above 'some' people will be people you know and who know you. Therefore,
You may have to go to strangers who are willing or called to help anybody and everybody. (Ex: When we get poison ivy rash, if no one else will help us, a stranger in the form of a doctor or nurse will help us.).

Regardless of your mess, God has someone to help you.  Seek out that help. Don't believe you have to suffer just because you are blatantly at fault for the mess you are in.

​Isaiah 1:18
KJV "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Hebrews 4:15, 16
KJV "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points temped like as we are, yet without sin.   Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
EXB "For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin.    Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God's throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it."                                 

II Peter 3:9
KJV "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."


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Last week, I listened to the sermons from January, 2024 up to now.  

A day or two after I listened to the one about writing the vision, which I did not stop to do, I was given the message ANOTHER way - lol.

First, I didn't stop to write the vision because I really never have written it out for other projects that I finished like I was assigned to do.  Sure, I wrote things on my board...and what I write on the board always gets done...since 1997 when I put the board on the wall.  So, maybe writing on the board can be considered writing the vision, in a sketchy (not bad, though) kind of way.  I haven't written the three steps  in a nice, neat form like I was taught in Strategic Planning classes in Bible College, for all projects except one that was written in that form. Nevertheless, the projects got done and dealt with according to instructions. 

Barbara Corocan, Shark Tank, said to forget the business plan...initially.  She said the way she operates is when she gets an idea, she immediately starts doing it.  She gave the advice for others to do the same. Go ahead and get it started, then do the business plan later and you'll know when later arrives. Ex:  Sit down or go buy supplies immediately and start making knitting the scarves or making the birdhouses that day.  My words "Get in the car and start it before you forget where you're supposed to be going."
       I get it.  I did that with the printing business.  I realized it was 'time', put out flyers, told my husband       
      when he got home, and that evening, he started taking orders and brought home orders every day for
      a few years. To this day, he still brings in a few orders although we kinda shut the business down a few 
      years ago.  I also did the bracelet business the same way.  Although it did better before 2020, I have no
      complaints about it. 

Back to the message!  
A couple of days later, a relative went to a game show taping. This relative had been before and watched the game on TV and had/has issues with the host cursing on TV and at the tapings.  The relative sent me a text about how the day- trip went. The relative included that during the breaks, the host cursed and make jokes. first, then concluded in the last break an inspirational message, as he is apt to do. The inspirational message was 'Write the Vision'. All I could do was laugh at myself and get it done.  

SO, that night, I actually got out one of my notebooks, and followed the steps for my latest project. I wrote out the Vision, Mission, and Goals.


​​The Book of Habakkuk. Old Testament,  KJV or EXB  

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[[Off the cuff. I'll clean it up soon.]]

(In a sermon, TDJ said something like we try to live up to our label. He was referencing the disciples replacing Judas because it was supposed to be TWELVE.)  That stuck with me. When I worried, I felt ridiculous. God and me know each other. He's always come through. When I didn't worry, I was told I needed to be working on something 'visible' to others.)  Actually, I'm always working on something...since 1985. Those who know, know  and receive or help).

Yesterday, God spoke this to me.
We don't have to prop up God.
If He's sadi nothing, He's said nothing.
He has spoken when we have and when we haven't actively listented for him.
He will speak when He is ready. In time. Timing. Season.
Do not make up something to say God said it in an effort to cover for God's silence.
God may wait quite a while to 'replace' the last blessing.
God may not 'replace' the last blessing:
 (last job for another job;
  gone spouse for new spouse;
  child who is no longer with another child;
  house with a new house.)
Wait.
Don't make stuff up.
Don't force a new blessing because everyone else is watching you for the 'next thing'. Wait.
Dispel accusations of 'you didn't' against you:
 (you weren't listening;  
  you didn't ask enough;
  you didn't ask right;
  you don't care enough.)
Wait.


 

*Scriptures are KJV and EXB

I've heard Christians proclaim that the devil gives blessings, too.  I've heard that for years! I've always had some issues with that. Some Christians can be jealous of the blessings and riches of supposed non-Christians. First, Black Christians can't assume White, financially rich people are not Christians, Second, who has what is generally not anybody's business. Third, Old Testament leaders who were rich and harassed Israel, were allowed by God to be rich and to harass Israel. Fourth, Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and was lying. Fifth, Hosea 2 says, the prostitute/Israel did not know God gave her corn, wine, oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, that she prepared for Baal/idols. SO, the prostitute/Israel had everything needed for life, plus some, although they acted wicked, lived foul and worshipped idols. Satan did not give them all that. God did. They just didn't realize or didn't acknowledge God for the blessings, but chose to give idols credit for the blessings.

Hosea 5 - Ephraim and Israel were determined to be prostitutes - spiritual whores, God crushed them. They saw their wounds and ran to the King of Assyria, hoping for healing, instead of running back to God and repenting for choosing their own kings and worshipping the idols. Mankind (aka ‘man’ used to distinguish humans from animals in the Old Testament) tend to do the same. We go our own way, choose our own 'kings' (Hosea 8) such as people we choose to acquaint ourselves with who are not who we need to befriend or allow to influence us, get wounded, then run to the world for healing (lies, clothes, money, food, sex, cars, jewelry, friends of the devil, etc.) hoping to be healed, instead of running back to God who will heal us from our own self-destruction AND from the wounds He inflicted on us or allowed us to get so that we would return to Him.

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*2.25.2024 Great Sunday School question from my Teacher's Discussion Sheet) - Why do you think people sometimes blame God for their problems?
I believe there are three reasons:
#1 - God ordains problems - JOB (ordain means suggest, propose, encourage, order or decree);
#2 - God allows problems - ADAM/EVE (allow means permit, fail to restrain);
#3 - God orchestrates problems – NOAH'S Ark/The Flood Story (orchestrate means arrange, direct the elements of)
We use the word 'blame' in an accusatory way, but God's purpose is that all things work together for our good, for those who are called according to God's purpose. 

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​03.29.2024
God Is Not Controlling. 
Hosea 11:4,  7, 8, 9, 10

With Lovingkindness  have I drawn thee.
4 - I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
4 - I led them with cords of human kindness, with ropes of love. I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down and fed them.

We, individually or corporately,  to this day, can be determined to disobey God - not delaying because we're thinking about it, trying to figure it out, or don't understand the assignment; but actively, purposely, determinedly  refuse to do what God says.
7 - And my people are bent to backsliding from me:...
7 - My people have made up their minds to turn away from me.

God prefers to bless us.
8 -  How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
8 - Israel, how can I give you up? How can I hand you away, Israel? I don't want to make you like Admah or treat you like Zeboiim [two cities destroyed together with Sodom and Gomorrah]. My heart beats for  you, and my love for you stirs up my pity. 

I like how he uses Ephraim and Israel, like a parent would  say "John, why did you do this? Explain it to me, Son, so I'll understand what made you do this?" OR "Your my Precious. You are the one, Oldest, so I expect better out of you." OR  "Rich, go do ... for your family. Husband, that's what you are now, so go do ... for your family."  See what I mean with the use of John and Son or First Name/Nickname and Place in the family
​
At this point, God is not mean like Man, i.e., human/mankind/not animal, has been towards Israel
9-  I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.
9 - I won't punish you in my anger, and I won't destroy Israel again. I am God and not a human; I am the Holy One, and I am among you. I will not come against you in anger. 

God wants his people to follow him because they should because they recognize him as Lord/Lion.
10 - They shall walk after the LORD: He shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.
10 - They will go after [follow] the LORD, and he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will hurry [come trembling] to him from the west. (11 - They will come swiftly [or trembling]...

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4.03.2024
Hosea 12:10 

I LOVE the word similtudes. Definition - the quality or state of being similar to something; a comparison between two things; a person or thing resembling someone or something else. 
Synonyms - parallel, sameness, equivalence, analogy. This verse reminds me of Ezekiel  20 regarding Israel's rebellion and God speaks of how he "wrought for my name's sake" meaning He worked every which way he could to make Israel look like his chosen people so that his name would not be laughed at by others.  
In verse 10, God explains that he sent prophets with many visions and used parables/similitudes in an effort to explain to Israel His goodness, their rebellion, and their need to return to him. He didn't scoff and say "forget them". He tried mightily to help them know his goodness, mercy, love  and desire for them to return to him. 
​
Also, in chapter 12, God particularly didn't want them, with their ill-gained riches, to oppress people like they had been oppressed by others who had  chose Israel against whom to use their deceitful ways of gaining riches.

10 - I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
10 - I spoke to the prophets and gave them many visions; through them, I taught my lessons [spoke in parables; or spoke oracles of doom] to you.

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https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA10109919_488#:~:text=Ephraim's%20leading%20position%20in%20Israel,(Wolff%201961%3A292).
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