Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the Kings horses and all the Kings men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
As a child I use to love the story about Humpty Dumpty. I never quite understood what this story meant, until yesterday. I always thought the moral of the story was after Humpty Dumpty fell, he could never be put back together again. However I missed one key component. I never realized or analyzed who was putting Humpty Dumpty back together again, until it was brought to my attention. You see this story outlines the obvious; it was man trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together. This helped me realize and understand that when you've been broken, man can't build you up, there's only one person that can put you back together and make you whole, and that is God.
Often times we go through life's challenges relying on man to fix our problems, or to make things better. Instead we need to be going to the creator; after all it was the creator that created us. We put to much confidence in man and not enough in God. God wants to be the Potter of our lives. He wants to take our broken pieces and rebuild us, mold us and shape us into what he has divinely purposed us to be. The problem is we get in the way. We allow "The Kings horses and the Kings men" to try and put us back together again, and they can't. Thus creating a world of people who seem put together but are still broken, they still have cracks, missing pieces, and debris from their fall, yet they are longing to one day be made whole.
"In case you have fallen by the wayside of life; dreams and visions shattered, you’re all broken inside. You don't have to stay in the shape that you're in; the potter wants to put you back together again, oh, the potter wants to put you back together again" (The Potter's House Tremaine Hawkins). Let us all learn from Humpty Dumpty, stop letting man try to do what they can't physically do. Let's take our broken pieces back to the potter, for if he fashioned us from the dust of the earth, surely he can mend our broken pieces.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning
"I've gone through the fire, I've been through the flood, I've been broken into pieces, seen lightening flashing from above. But through it all I remember that HE loves me and HE cares, for He'll never put more on me than I can bare" Kirk Franklin & God's Property.
When I was a child, I hated when the weatherman would say A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued. I knew right then what was coming next. My grandmother would bellow from where ever she was and say turn off all the TV's, all the lights and come into the living room and sit down; a storm is coming. Sure enough within 10-15 minutes we would hear some thunder, lightening and then the rain would splatter against the window. One day I got curious and asked why we had to cut off all of the electricity and sit down and be quiet during a thunderstorm. My grandmother looked at me and responded by saying because the Lord is speaking. Well I never understood this peculiar statement, until I started experiencing storms in my own personal life.
These past couple of months have been rough. I've heard the thunder roar, I've seen the lightening flash, I've been tossed and driven, battered by an angry sea. Yes, the storms of life have been raging, but it has been through these rough times that I have experienced the most comfort and peace. "In quietness and confidence shall be your strenghth" Isaiah 30:15. It is something incredible about sitting still and listening for God's soft voice during what may seem like a tragic storm in your life. While the winds are raging, the thunders are roaring, and the lightening is flashing, those whose soul is anchored in the Lord, can rest peacefully knowing that you are safe in his arms. This rest of peace, which seems to pass all understanding will allow you to hear what God is saying as he guides you through the storm and prepares you for the aftermath.
My grandmother always had a way of using strange metaphors or old wives tails to teach me a lesson, and boy am I starting to understand them as I go throughout life. I now understand why people would testify on Sunday mornings that their soul was anchored in the Lord, or how Christ was the captain of their soul. Our christian journey never promised us that we wouldn't experience any storms, yet while they maybe a little rough, while you may get shaken up a bit, or even loose a few things in the process, rest assure that if you settle yourself, stand still, and bask in the presence of the Lord, you can hear him speak peace to your mind, body and spirit and watch the storms cease.
When I was a child, I hated when the weatherman would say A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued. I knew right then what was coming next. My grandmother would bellow from where ever she was and say turn off all the TV's, all the lights and come into the living room and sit down; a storm is coming. Sure enough within 10-15 minutes we would hear some thunder, lightening and then the rain would splatter against the window. One day I got curious and asked why we had to cut off all of the electricity and sit down and be quiet during a thunderstorm. My grandmother looked at me and responded by saying because the Lord is speaking. Well I never understood this peculiar statement, until I started experiencing storms in my own personal life.
These past couple of months have been rough. I've heard the thunder roar, I've seen the lightening flash, I've been tossed and driven, battered by an angry sea. Yes, the storms of life have been raging, but it has been through these rough times that I have experienced the most comfort and peace. "In quietness and confidence shall be your strenghth" Isaiah 30:15. It is something incredible about sitting still and listening for God's soft voice during what may seem like a tragic storm in your life. While the winds are raging, the thunders are roaring, and the lightening is flashing, those whose soul is anchored in the Lord, can rest peacefully knowing that you are safe in his arms. This rest of peace, which seems to pass all understanding will allow you to hear what God is saying as he guides you through the storm and prepares you for the aftermath.
My grandmother always had a way of using strange metaphors or old wives tails to teach me a lesson, and boy am I starting to understand them as I go throughout life. I now understand why people would testify on Sunday mornings that their soul was anchored in the Lord, or how Christ was the captain of their soul. Our christian journey never promised us that we wouldn't experience any storms, yet while they maybe a little rough, while you may get shaken up a bit, or even loose a few things in the process, rest assure that if you settle yourself, stand still, and bask in the presence of the Lord, you can hear him speak peace to your mind, body and spirit and watch the storms cease.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Playtime Is Over
"I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid. There's a million toys at Toys R Us that I can play with. From bikes and planes to video games. I just wanna be a Toys R Us kid". Toys R Us Theme Song.
I remember as a child I would often say, I can't wait til I grow up and become an adult. I wanted to be 18 so bad. I wanted to be able to make my own decisions and call my own shots. However, now that I'm an adult, I often wish I could revert back to the Toys R Us theme song, and be a kid all over again. As a child I never knew how good I had it, and knowing what I know now I wouldn't have rushed to grow up so quickly. Unfortunately those days are long gone. As I grew older I learned through the school of hard knock that toys are for boys, and now its time for me to be a man.
Yes, Playtime is over! While it would be nice to still be a child, unfortunately its just a fantasy that will never be a reality in my life. I always thought that when I became an adult I wouldn't have to answer to anyone, boy was I wrong. You are always answering to somebody, you will always have to acquire some type of knowledge, these are some of the requirements of being an adult. Being an adult breeds responsibility. They say with age comes wisdom and now its time for me to act my age, and you should to. For too long we've had grown adults acting like little children, because they've never been told that playtime is over. In Paul's letter to the Church of Corinth he informs them that "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man I put away childish things 1 Corinthians 13:11. Newsflash...Put the toys down. You are no longer a child.
It is time for us to become responsible, mature and wise adults. Many of us want to be called adults but we don't want to put away the childish behavior. We want our cake and eat it to, but that's not life. Wisdom and responsibility makes you an adult not your age. If you are man with a child, and you are not taking care of it like you are suppose to, then you are still operating in the mindset of a child. MAN UP and take care of your responsibility. If you are a woman with a child, but you are always out clubbing, looking for the next man, or parting vs putting your child first, you to are operating in the mindset of a child. People that like to play games in relationships...Newsflash...You are acting like a child. People that are always complaining, or as my Pastor puts it "Adult Whining" you to are acting like a child.
Many of us just need to GROW UP! The world owes you nothing and it will not give you any handouts. Life is all about what you make it. You can continue to be irresponsible and act childish in nature or you can choose to put away the games and the toys, the choice is yours. It's OK to reminisce of your childhood, its fine to dream and fantasize about being a kid again, but when you wake up, just remember Playtime is Over.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
My Past Is Not My Future
"I am leaving this place now, letting go of all my fears, saying goodbye to the memories I hold dear. I can finally breathe again, it's a new day fair well past, as I close this chapter I say free at last." Damita Haddon
In the words of Pop Star singer Brittany Spears Oops I did it again. Yes, I have been down this road before. It seems as if every time I try to move forward, I allow my past to pull me back. The problem is I have changed as a person, I'm not the man that I used to be. However, the people that I have surrounded myself with has not changed. Thus they only can see the old me, and not the new person I have become.
While reading a good friend's blog posting it became evident to me that in order to move forward in your life sometimes you have to let go and remove yourself from certain "nouns" (people, places and things). In order to move forward sometimes you have to let go of your past. The only way to do so is by forgetting those former things. Removing yourself from those old bad habits and surrounding yourself around new positive people, places and things.
Change can only come from a new mindset, and in order to have a new mindset, you must leave those things of the past. If you were raised as a child in a low income neighborhood, you can not expect to be a millionaire, live in a great neighborhood, but still hang and run with your old low income neighborhood boys. Its like oil and water, it will not mix. My grandmother use to always tell me, be careful of the company you keep, be careful of the environments you surround yourself in, be careful of those things that seem good, but do not benefit you, because at the end of the day all of these things, make you who you are. Remember the saying "birds of a feather, flock together?"
Whoopi Goldberg instructed us in the blockbuster movie Sister Act II "if you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, you better wake up and pay attention". Paul takes on a similar ideology as he writes his letter to the Philippi believers by expressing to them "Brothers, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth towards those things which are before" Philippians 3:13. If you want more and better for yourself, we must let go of those former things. Whether they are hurts, fears, or relationships, we must bury them and never dig them back up again. Our friends have to change, our mindset has to change, our environments have to change in order to be free from your past. So the next time you feel like something is holding you back, take a look at the things of your past, i guarantee once you begin to let go of those former things, you' ll be free to move forward, I plan to. What about you?
In the words of Pop Star singer Brittany Spears Oops I did it again. Yes, I have been down this road before. It seems as if every time I try to move forward, I allow my past to pull me back. The problem is I have changed as a person, I'm not the man that I used to be. However, the people that I have surrounded myself with has not changed. Thus they only can see the old me, and not the new person I have become.
While reading a good friend's blog posting it became evident to me that in order to move forward in your life sometimes you have to let go and remove yourself from certain "nouns" (people, places and things). In order to move forward sometimes you have to let go of your past. The only way to do so is by forgetting those former things. Removing yourself from those old bad habits and surrounding yourself around new positive people, places and things.
Change can only come from a new mindset, and in order to have a new mindset, you must leave those things of the past. If you were raised as a child in a low income neighborhood, you can not expect to be a millionaire, live in a great neighborhood, but still hang and run with your old low income neighborhood boys. Its like oil and water, it will not mix. My grandmother use to always tell me, be careful of the company you keep, be careful of the environments you surround yourself in, be careful of those things that seem good, but do not benefit you, because at the end of the day all of these things, make you who you are. Remember the saying "birds of a feather, flock together?"
Whoopi Goldberg instructed us in the blockbuster movie Sister Act II "if you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, you better wake up and pay attention". Paul takes on a similar ideology as he writes his letter to the Philippi believers by expressing to them "Brothers, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth towards those things which are before" Philippians 3:13. If you want more and better for yourself, we must let go of those former things. Whether they are hurts, fears, or relationships, we must bury them and never dig them back up again. Our friends have to change, our mindset has to change, our environments have to change in order to be free from your past. So the next time you feel like something is holding you back, take a look at the things of your past, i guarantee once you begin to let go of those former things, you' ll be free to move forward, I plan to. What about you?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Stay On Course
"Life is a journey not a destination..." India Arie
When I was a little boy, I always knew that I wanted to go to James Madison University. I remember the summer of my 8th grade school year, I went to JMU for the first time for an African American male program, and fell in love. Upon my return home at the end of the summer I immediately went to my mom and told her that I was going to JMU for college. So from 9th grade on whenever someone asked me what school I was going to I would immediately say JMU. My senior in high school, I only applied to one college and that was JMU. I just knew that was the college that I was going to attend to further my education. However that was not the path that I was suppose to take. That wasn't what God had in his plan for me. I applied to JMU and under the wisdom and guidance of my mother she encouraged me to to apply to one other school. So I applied to George Mason University, a school I had never heard of and really had no interest in attending. Well as luck would have it I got wait listed for JMU and got accepted to GMU, which is where I ended up attending. Little did I know that I would meet so many people at GMU that would be influential to my life, that I would find my spiritual father and current church home where I serve as a leader, and realize that GMU was God ordained.
David writes in Psalm 37:23 "The steps of a good man are ordered by the lord". I always knew that my steps were ordered, and that God was always leading me on this journey of life, however I got so caught up in what I wanted to do that I never took the time to ask God, if it was his will.
You must realize that this life is a journey not a destination. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to your own understanding and he will direct your path" Proverbs 3:5-6. You must allow God to be the captain of your ship and steer you into the right direction. If you follow his leading he'll guide you through the roughest storms in life, so that you don't get off course.
Life's journey is filled with many bumps, twist and turns, but we can take comfort in the fact, knowing that God is the master of our fate, and the captain of our soul. God has a specific plan and design for our lives. "For I knows the plans I have for you, plans of good and not of evil to give you an expected end" Jeremiah 29:11. However, we must allow are steps to be ordered and stay on the course that he has set for us. By doing so we can reach our final destination.
When I was a little boy, I always knew that I wanted to go to James Madison University. I remember the summer of my 8th grade school year, I went to JMU for the first time for an African American male program, and fell in love. Upon my return home at the end of the summer I immediately went to my mom and told her that I was going to JMU for college. So from 9th grade on whenever someone asked me what school I was going to I would immediately say JMU. My senior in high school, I only applied to one college and that was JMU. I just knew that was the college that I was going to attend to further my education. However that was not the path that I was suppose to take. That wasn't what God had in his plan for me. I applied to JMU and under the wisdom and guidance of my mother she encouraged me to to apply to one other school. So I applied to George Mason University, a school I had never heard of and really had no interest in attending. Well as luck would have it I got wait listed for JMU and got accepted to GMU, which is where I ended up attending. Little did I know that I would meet so many people at GMU that would be influential to my life, that I would find my spiritual father and current church home where I serve as a leader, and realize that GMU was God ordained.
David writes in Psalm 37:23 "The steps of a good man are ordered by the lord". I always knew that my steps were ordered, and that God was always leading me on this journey of life, however I got so caught up in what I wanted to do that I never took the time to ask God, if it was his will.
You must realize that this life is a journey not a destination. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to your own understanding and he will direct your path" Proverbs 3:5-6. You must allow God to be the captain of your ship and steer you into the right direction. If you follow his leading he'll guide you through the roughest storms in life, so that you don't get off course.
Life's journey is filled with many bumps, twist and turns, but we can take comfort in the fact, knowing that God is the master of our fate, and the captain of our soul. God has a specific plan and design for our lives. "For I knows the plans I have for you, plans of good and not of evil to give you an expected end" Jeremiah 29:11. However, we must allow are steps to be ordered and stay on the course that he has set for us. By doing so we can reach our final destination.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Angels In Disguise
This afternoon I had a conversation with a member of my church, as we sat down and ate pizza and enjoyed the cool brisk air a person walked by dressed in an unusual manner in our opinion. My friend decided to make a comment regarding the person's dress and after the comment, she immediately said, "let me not judge this person by how they are dressed. I never know this person may be my ticket out of here". This comment by my friend caused me to begin to think of how often we judge people by what they wear or how they look.
Their is an Old English idiom that says "Don't judge a book by its cover". We ought to be careful when we assess people based upon the way they look or the way that they act. The bible admonishes us to "not forget to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware" Hebrews 13:2. You never know if the person sitting next to you, or the person you see walking down the street dressed oddly is an angel in disguise. How often do we go through our normal routine of the day, and frown our face or nose up at people that look or dress different then we do. What if these people were heavenly angels, disguised that we were not aware of? What if we missed out on an important blessing from the Lord, because we did not treat these strangers with love and kindness? These are questions that we must ponder in our hearts.
The next time you see somebody that looks strange to you, or doesn't fit what society deems as normal, think to yourself could this be my angel? Stop thinking so highly of yourself, that you forget to be nice and kind to someone that may "seem" to be less fortunate or different then you. Go through the day smiling, and speaking to everyone. You never know how much of a difference a smile can make in one persons life. It maybe your smile that could change the course of your life forever. Your smile could be the very thing that could stop someone from committing suicide. Your Hello or Good morning, could brighten someones day and make them feel special. Make an intentional effort to entertain strangers through love, for you never know if you are entertaining an angel unaware.
Their is an Old English idiom that says "Don't judge a book by its cover". We ought to be careful when we assess people based upon the way they look or the way that they act. The bible admonishes us to "not forget to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware" Hebrews 13:2. You never know if the person sitting next to you, or the person you see walking down the street dressed oddly is an angel in disguise. How often do we go through our normal routine of the day, and frown our face or nose up at people that look or dress different then we do. What if these people were heavenly angels, disguised that we were not aware of? What if we missed out on an important blessing from the Lord, because we did not treat these strangers with love and kindness? These are questions that we must ponder in our hearts.
The next time you see somebody that looks strange to you, or doesn't fit what society deems as normal, think to yourself could this be my angel? Stop thinking so highly of yourself, that you forget to be nice and kind to someone that may "seem" to be less fortunate or different then you. Go through the day smiling, and speaking to everyone. You never know how much of a difference a smile can make in one persons life. It maybe your smile that could change the course of your life forever. Your smile could be the very thing that could stop someone from committing suicide. Your Hello or Good morning, could brighten someones day and make them feel special. Make an intentional effort to entertain strangers through love, for you never know if you are entertaining an angel unaware.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Something About That Name
"Good Men must die, but death can not kill their names"--Proverb
In life you have two things that are considered very important, the first thing is your name, the second is your credit score. While your credit score is very important it is your name that holds the most weight. People identify you with your name, and the name that you have made for yourself. I am a firm believer that what we name our children depicts their personality and character. As a child I used to ask my mother why she named me Antione, her response was always, that she named me after the French Chemist Antoine Lavoisier. For years that seemed like a great and satisfying response to me, yet as I begin to get older I knew there had to be a deeper meaning to my name.
I begin to research my first, middle and last name so that I could have a better understanding of who I was. I found out that Antione was from a French origin meaning a flourishing flower and highly praiseworthy. DeCarlo was from a Spanish and English origin meaning strong and courageous. Mercer my surname was from an old English origin meaning merchant or trader. When Combined you have Antione DeCarlo Mercer - a flourishing flower who is highly praiseworthy, strong, courageous and a Merchant. All of these meanings are characteristics that make up my personality and overall existence.
God has so many characteristics that he has many different names. Jehovah Jireh - The Lord who provides Genesis 22:12-14, Jehovah Rapha - The Lord who heals Exodus 15:22-26, Jehovah Nissi - The Lord our banner Exodus 17:8-15, and many others. The common theme is that each of his names endorse his characteristic, which is why our names our so important. Even God when he sent his son through the virgin Mary gave him a name that would describe his character. Jesus deriving from Hebrew origin means The Lord is salvation. The result being Jesus became our saviour, who redeemed us through his blood, HE became our salvation. We must learn to name our children names that declare their purpose and gives them a sense of character. Every time someone calls my name, I can stand proud, with my chest out, because I know my identity and what my name means, do you?
In life you have two things that are considered very important, the first thing is your name, the second is your credit score. While your credit score is very important it is your name that holds the most weight. People identify you with your name, and the name that you have made for yourself. I am a firm believer that what we name our children depicts their personality and character. As a child I used to ask my mother why she named me Antione, her response was always, that she named me after the French Chemist Antoine Lavoisier. For years that seemed like a great and satisfying response to me, yet as I begin to get older I knew there had to be a deeper meaning to my name.
I begin to research my first, middle and last name so that I could have a better understanding of who I was. I found out that Antione was from a French origin meaning a flourishing flower and highly praiseworthy. DeCarlo was from a Spanish and English origin meaning strong and courageous. Mercer my surname was from an old English origin meaning merchant or trader. When Combined you have Antione DeCarlo Mercer - a flourishing flower who is highly praiseworthy, strong, courageous and a Merchant. All of these meanings are characteristics that make up my personality and overall existence.
God has so many characteristics that he has many different names. Jehovah Jireh - The Lord who provides Genesis 22:12-14, Jehovah Rapha - The Lord who heals Exodus 15:22-26, Jehovah Nissi - The Lord our banner Exodus 17:8-15, and many others. The common theme is that each of his names endorse his characteristic, which is why our names our so important. Even God when he sent his son through the virgin Mary gave him a name that would describe his character. Jesus deriving from Hebrew origin means The Lord is salvation. The result being Jesus became our saviour, who redeemed us through his blood, HE became our salvation. We must learn to name our children names that declare their purpose and gives them a sense of character. Every time someone calls my name, I can stand proud, with my chest out, because I know my identity and what my name means, do you?
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