The Prayer’s of Black Women

October 6

But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

Exodus 17:3 NIV
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

Yesterday, I prayed for my friend Sandy’s thirst for God’s compassion concerning her mom’s quality of life. Unlike my friend, for me, I’ve noticed it’s easy for people to pray and or expect something so drastic as death when it’s not their life ending. As to why my friend’s words of concern about her mom’s fate really bothered me.

Looking back at things, for my mom, despite her health challenges or the doctors feeling she should die by suicidial assistance because she was sickly and old, my mom wanted to live. She believed God should make the decision as to when she would die. It was my mom’s life, her desire and her faith. And as her Power of Attorney (POA), I honored all three! Especially since, I’ve learned life is a gift that so many people fail to enjoy and my mom loved her life no matter how bad things became. Let’s pray!

PRAYER:

Father, God, thank you for this life I live and deeply love. It’s truly a blessing. Let me always celebrate this gift that so many people take for granted and or don’t appreciate. Let me come to you everyday and especially on my day of entry into the world with thanksgiving. I pray for the souls that can’t see how wonderful life is, yet, they have a thirst to live. I ask that you open their spiritual eyes to the blessings of life and show them how to obtain joy. For it is joy that will help them to celebrate them and the life they were given. I also pray for people that mentally, emotionally and physically imprison others, thus, taking their victims God-given right to enjoy and celebrate life freely. Lord, I once heard prayer can go where 747’s can’t land. So, please hear my request and move expeditiously in freeing bound souls. Amen

Quote for Today: Respecting the Boundaries of Others

Photo credit:  Internet
Photo credit: Internet

 

 

Our real concern with others should not be “Are they doing what I would do or what I want them to do?” but “Are they really making a free choice?”  When we accept others’ freedom, we don’t get angry, feel guilty, or withdraw our love when they set boundaries with us.  When we accept others’ freedom, we feel better about our own.  —Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

Quote for Today: We raise girls to cater to the fragile egos of men

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Photo credit:  Rex
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Photo credit: Rex

We raise girls to cater to the fragile  egos of men. We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We tell girls ‘you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man……

We teach girls shame – close your legs, cover yourself!! We make them feel as though by being born female they’re already guilty of something.  And so girls grow up to be a woman who cannot see they have desire.  They grow up to be women who silence themselves. They grow up to be women who cannot say what they truly think. And they grow up – and this is the worst thing we do to girls – they grow up to be women who turn pretense into an art form.  ~Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Taboo Tuesdays: There Are NO Perfect Parents

Photo taken by:  A. Harrison
Photo taken by: A. Harrison

For the past couple of months I have corresponded with a female family member.  She lives with a man, age 28, that has custodial issues with his child’s mother.

It seems he has problems keeping a job and a roof over his head.  And now that she lives with him, it seems he struggles with keeping a roof over her head.  Should he gain custody of his child, the hand-writing on the wall clearly shows he won’t be able to keep a roof over his child’s head either.  Yet, my young impetuous family member feels she and this guy are more suitable to raise the child than its mother!

Ooh!  I forgot to add, my young and gullible family member is only twenty-one years old.  She seems to believe living life as an adult is stupid.  Well at any rate with her childlike behavior she has been told by whoever, whomever, she is more suited to raise another woman’s child.  And with that noted I want to say the following:

It pisses me off to the highest of pisstivity when parents move on and find foolish people who believe they would make a better parent to children than the custodial or non-custodial parent.  And, trust me when I write, it really does rip my seat of toleration when these foolish people truly believe they are better than the parent in question.

Children don’t come with manuals.  And every parent (male or female) will make mistakes in parenting.  And I don’t give a hoot who spouts they are the better parent!  There are no perfect parents!  There are parents that do the best they can with what they have.  There are parents that are good parents because they do exceptional jobs at parenting!  But there are no perfect parents!  Like there are no perfect children.

 

Saturday Funnies: New Entrance Policy in Heaven

Photo credit:  Unknown
Photo credit: Unknown

New Entrance Policy in Heaven
(Author Unknown)

One day, Heaven suddenly became extremely full, and something had to be done.  So the Lord decided to have St. Peter wait at the gate and ask everyone how they died.  If it was a grisly story they told, they could go ahead into Heaven.  But if not, they had to go to Hell.

The first man walks up and St. Peter tells him what’s happening.  “You see, Heaven is quite full today, and we have to ask everyone how they died.  If it sounds good, you can go ahead.  But if not, you go to Hell.”

“Ok,” the man says. “Well, for awhile I’d been suspecting my wife of cheating on me. So today I thought I’d leave work early and catch her.  Sure enough, I got to my apartment and she was lying naked on the bed. I ran all over the apartment searching for the man but couldn’t find him.

Then I remembered that we lived on the 25th floor of an apartment building, and we have a balcony. And there was the man, hanging off my balcony. I beat at his hands and he just wouldn’t let go, so I ran and got a hammer and beat his hands until he fell into the bushes below. I saw he was still alive so I got the refrigerator and pushed over the edge on top of him. But the strain of the effort gave me a heart attack and I died.

“Wow!” St. Peter said. “That really is bad! You can go ahead…”

The next man walked up and St. Peter gave his spiel about Heaven being full and the man would have to tell his story.

“Ok,” the second man said. “So I live on the 26th floor of an apartment building, and everyday I do exercises on my balcony.  Well, today I fell over the edge, but luckily I caught the railing of the balcony below me.”

“Suddenly, this man came running out and started beating at my hands.  He ran back inside and I thought I was safe, but then he came back out with a hammer and beat my hands again. I finally fell off, but luckily I landed in the bushes below and they saved my life. But that wasn’t enough for the man because he pushed his refrigerator over the edge and it landed on me and killed me.  And now I’m here.”

“Wow, that’s a good one too! You can go ahead…”

The third man walked up and St. Peter again gave his spiel about Heaven being full and the man would have to tell his story of how he died.

“Ok,” the third man said. “I don’t know what happened. I was hiding naked inside this refrigerator…”

Paying It Forwards: Gratefulness for Employement

The Dalai LamaThe video that I’m sharing today pricked my memory.  It brought to the forefront the importance of parents planning for their children’s future for in their untimely death.

I was angered at the sight of seeing children being abused.  Viewing the video made me feel helpless as a woman and certainly as a mom!   Without thought I wanted to find the man in the video and beat him with his stick!  It was clear to see the man was an ungrateful person.  The punishment he was handing out to parentless children for whatever reason was abuse.  And I wanted him to feel the sting of abuse he deserved.  I wanted him to feel a hard bald fist hit from an angry and very pissed off mother.  I wanted to be those kids protector.  I wanted to give them the loving shelter of a mother’s care.  I wanted to forget that I was a woman and whip his [implicative deleted]!  I’m still upset!  And like I said his actions pricked my memory.  Well any way . . .

When I was a young single mother I was sold a life insurance policy I could not afford.  What prompt me to buy life insurance was the untimely death of my younger, and only, brother.

Later people looking to profit and move up within a pyramid financial company tried to get me to stop the policy.  But I was bent on keeping it because I wanted to leave my son’s a little something should I die.  And I thank God for common sense!  Because, honestly, their sales-pitch came across as fishy as they tried to sell me a policy I did not need nor want.

They weren’t concern with what would happen to my children in the case of my death.  All they wanted was a sale like the first insurance salesperson.  And what I needed during this particular moment, as a single mom with three young children, was someone who knew the insurance business and knew about life.  Other words, I needed someone to help me make final financial arrangements for my young dependents.

I called my auto insurance agent and told her my dilemma.  She arranged a meeting with me to discuss affordable life insurance.

The meeting went well.  She sold me a policy that would fit my strained income.  But before she sold me the policy she asked me the below questions:

  1. How much is your mortgage?
  2. How many children do you have?
  3. How big is your house?
  4. How old are your children?

Then she went on to express the importance of having life insurance.  She could not guarantee that my children would not be mistreated.  But I clearly remember her saying that if they weren’t a financial burden to others they would probably be treated okay.  She included my mortgage in the policy in case the caretaker needed a place to stay.  She said the other half should be placed into a trust fund for the boys college expenses.  And she pointed out my Social Security could pay for their living expenses while they were under the age of 18.

Like I stated earlier, I found the video very disturbing.  It was clear to see the horrid man was not thankful for having employment.  His lack in kindness prevented him from being grateful; therefore, it was easy for him to cross the threshold of abuse.  Because had the man been grateful for employment he would have found a kinder and constructive way to punish the children.

http://youtu.be/pcX-WqFLKn4

A Dad’s Speech At His Daughter’s Wedding

Photographer:  Artis Harrison
Photographer: Artis Harrison

Today I found this very beautiful story from a dad to his daughter’s new family on Social Meems.  So I’m sharing it with you.  Happy reading!

I thought I would start my speech by addressing you as the “new” family of my daughter. But I think it would be inappropriate because now that she is married, you are “the family” for her. Believe me; I don’t have a problem with that. I, in fact, want my daughter to have “you” as her priority now. Its time for us to take a backseat in her life. We would happily accept it but would surely request one thing- please keep her happy!

I am more than sure that you will keep her very happy. She will perhaps be happier than what she used to be here. But like all fathers, I obsess over my daughter’s happiness which is making me say this over and over again- please keep her happy!

She never was and will never be a burden for me. She is in fact the reason why I breathe and smile. I am getting her married because this is what the law of nature demands. I am helpless in the face of our culture and therefore sending her to your home. She was the happiness of my home and will now light up your home. I am giving my world to you. Please make sure it remains beautiful. I am giving away my princess to you. Please make sure she stays as a queen. I have raised her with my sweat and blood and now she is wonderfully perfect. For all the care, love, beauty and warmth my daughter will bring into your lives, I just want her happiness in return—please keep her happy!

If at times you think that my daughter has said or done something wrong, feel free to scold her. But handle her with love. She is very fragile. If at times she feels low, be with her. She just needs a little bit of your attention. If at times she feels sick, show her some care. It’s the medicine that works best for her. If at times she fails to fulfill a responsibility, feel free to chastise her. But empathize with her. She is still learning. Do understand her—please keep her happy!

I don’t mind if I don’t get to see her for months. I don’t mind if I am not able to talk to her on a daily basis. I would be more than happy if she doesn’t remember me much. But, my only motive in life has been my daughter’s happiness which is now in your hands. I beg you, please keep her happy.

Dear son-in-law, these words may not mean much to you now but if you are lucky enough to father a daughter someday, you will appreciate them better when you will find every beat of your heart shouting – “please keep her happy”!

– Dedicated to all fathers

 

Inspirational Fridays: Liang Yaoyi and The Courage to Face Death

No Life Should be Lived in Vain

Liang YaoyiAs I ponder for meaning to the end of a young life I searched for meaning to my existence.  The world has lost a key-player.  His name is Liang Yaoyi.  He was only 11 years old when he died a heroic death of a man.  He lost his life fearlessly to brain cancer.  Which means he did not leave the earth as a beaten spectator.  He was in the game of life!  And he was indeed a key-player that world will miss because . . .

Had he lived he would have became a doctor with purpose.  He would have been a trail blazer to the world of medical science.  He would have set the world on fire with new medical ideas.  His ideas would have taken medicine to greater heights as his love for life became contagious.

His unselfish dying decree surrender him as a leader that understood he had came to the end of his journey.  And what is so amazing about his death is:  Liang Yaoyi passed the torch of life by donating his liver and kidneys as he bravely recognized he own life was ending.

And I do hope you realize I am writing about the bravery of an 11 year old boy.  Fate gave him choices that have spiritually flatten adults; but, he fought to the end of his life with a gallant spirit of a victorious man.  RIP Liang Yaoyi for your young life was not lived in vain.  [tears]

A Beautiful Woman’s Advice on Loving Life