#Tuestimony
*Part 2 of 2. My pursuit of Comedy.
For the first few years, my content was pretty vulgar and I used a lot of profanity. As I continued to grow in God, I started to feel guilty for my language usage on stage. So, over the past few years, Ive cleaned up my material tremendously. It was a hard task because I thought my jokes were great the way they were. I feared that if I removed the profanity from some jokes and gotten rid of jokes that were too vulgar in content (and couldnt even be cleaned up), then I wouldnt have any material. But I had Friends, Family, and even other Comics encouraging me and praying for me to follow my Spiritual instincts.
A milestone moment for me was in 2014 when I was asked to perform for 15 minutes at a Church. I was scheduled to be the 'Opening Act' for the Headliner who was set to do 35minutes. So, I performed my 15mins and then sat down with my Wife (GF back then) while other activities took place. Then the Church Event Organizers came running back over to me and asked if I could go back up for another 30 minutes... because they had just heard from the Headliner that he wasnt gonna make it due to a sudden emergency. Immediately I said "No, Im very sorry, but I dont have the material." I only had the 15mins of clean material that I already gave them! I had nothing left! Then my Wife asked if she could help me. The Church entertained the guests with music for about 10mins or so. My Wife and I sat down and quickly went over my repertoire of jokes. We figured out ways for me to clean up enough material for an additional 25minutes. So I went back to the Admins and said "Call me back up. Im ready!" And it was a blast! The audience had a super jolly good time! From that experience, I realized that I didnt have to be vulgar or profane to be funny. It increased my Faith to rely on God to give me the ability and creativity to be funny without using bad language or unnecessarily explicit/graphic content.
BUT.... dont let me fool you into thinking that my material is 100% G-rated... because it's definitely not! I still share some stories/jokes that are appropriate for Mature/Adult audiences that I wouldnt share in Church or in front of Children. However, I try to steer clear of profanity/vulgar language.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT KNOCKING ANYONE ELSE WHO USES PROFANITY OR VULGARITY IN THEIR JOKES. I STILL LAUGH IF THOSE JOKES ARE FUNNY. I'M ONLY SPEAKING FOR MYSELF BECAUSE OF THE GUILT I HAD FOR USING SUCH LANGUAGE IN MY OWN MATERIAL, WHILE WALKING IN MY FAITH. So if you curse and you're okay with it for yourself, then all good!
But as for me, I want to reflect God-In-Me in everything I do. And while I havent reached pinnacle-level Christianness (as if there is a such thing), I believe MY comedy is meant to Honor and Glorify God... and I dont think I was doing that to the best of my ability when I was cursing every other word.
I thank God for the Gift of Comedy.
I thank God for transforming my mindset about my material.
I thank God for convicting my Spirit when I slip up on stage and say something I shouldnt.
I thank God for my supporters; those who encourage, uplift & pray for me, and those who are entertained by me.
I thank God for what He already has planned and prepared for me.
#WontHeDoIt!
<Part 1 of "My pursuit of Comedy" was on last week's Tuestimony>
Tuestimony (1/8/2019)
Part 1 of 2. My pursuit of Comedy
The seed for my passion for comedy was planted in 2006... at a Funeral.
At my (maternal) Grandma's Homegoing Celebration, I was first to speak during the "Reflections" moment. I began by saying "Hello everyone. Just so you'd know... I didnt run up here first because I am my Grandma's favorite Grandchild, or because I'm handsome. But let's be honest... I AM my Grandma's favorite Grandchild, AND Im handsome. So let's move on." Everybody laughed! Then I carried on with the serious part of my message.
At the time, I didnt realize how powerful that moment was (for Me or for Others). I didnt even necessarily plan to start off that way. But I could see the sadness in a lot of people's faces since the celebration began. And then the thought hit me like... "Ok, when they let people speak, Im gonna run up and see if I could lighten the mood. Me and Grandma used to trip out about everything. She would love it if I could make them smile for even just a half-second. So I made up my mind to go up and say something friendlily and funnily narcissistic. *Im glad it went over well... cuz if they didnt find it amusing at all, my Grandma would have come down (or gotten up) and beat my butt for embarrassing her at her own party!
It would be a few years before that seed was watered... by the sheer arrogance of my own thoughts that I was funnier than the Headliners I saw at my local comedy club. So, I tried my hand at Stand-Up. My first performance was supremely humbling, cuz I def was not as funny as I thought. And I immediately realized it wasnt as easy as it looked (from a audience member's perspective). However, the laughs that I did get created a feeling that I cant justly put into words, but it was incredible!... I KNEW comedy was my calling.
Over the years, I've learned (for myself) that my Gift is bigger than the surface level "I-make-people-laugh". I mean... don't get me wrong... making people laugh IS a great deal. But the impact made from causing that laughter is far greater than the laughter itself. I never know what an Audience member is going through when I perform. Some of the most rewarding feedback I've got is from people who expressed to me that I had no idea how much my comedy helped to put them in positive spirits and to see things differently in their own lives. I even receive messages about how my social media posts had brightened someone's day and they "seriously needed that laugh". Those remarks are extremely special and dear to me. They remind me that my Gift does have a Purpose and it isn't just for me to be gratified simply because someone laughed.
As I continue to grow, both in my Faith and in my Talent, my prayer is that I continue to touch people beyond the "ha-ha", and bring a bit of joy in others' lives if even for the briefest of moments. I still have a long way to go in pursuit of my own comedy goals as well as using my Gift to serve God and His Purpose for me.
I thank God for the ability of being an Entertainer.
I thank God for Family, Friends, Fans, and other Supporters who pray for me and encourage me in this area.
<Part 2 of "My pursuit of Comedy" will continue on next week's Tuestimony>
Tuestimony (12/18/2018)
Wife’s alertness saved three of us from losing our lives in what could have been a tragic car accident.
Spring 2018. Wife, a Business Partner, and I were driving from Indiana back to Virginia. Well… I was driving, but yea… 3 people in the SUV. I think we were on a stretch in Ohio somewhere. If memory serves me correctly, it was “US-35” road. The road had two Eastbound lanes and two Westbound lanes, separated only by double yellow lines. It was around 1am-ish. So it was pretty dark outside. It was like a “country” back road where there were no streetlights, lit buildings, or anything like that; it was all just open road and farmlands.
I was driving around maybe 70mph or so… in the left lane, traveling Eastbound. There were no other cars on the road. Wayyyyyyy up ahead, I see a car traveling Westbound, on what I thought was a Westbound lane. ---- Wait…….
<<SIDEBAR>> Although my Wife travels a lot for our Business, she doesn’t really like driving. And she usually sleeps the entire length of time it takes to travel anywhere. It could a 30min trip, and she’d sleep for 27minutes during the car ride. It could be an 8hour trip, and she’d sleep for 7 hours, 54 mins. She’s only awake when we’re leaving the driveway, or returning to the driveway. Other than that, she’s asleep!! <<END SIDEBAR>>
So I saw this car ahead and I couldn’t quite tell if it was traveling in its left lane of the Westbound direction it was traveling, or if it was in MY left lane of the Eastbound direction (although it was heading Westbound). I had just assumed that it was in its proper lane and that I couldn’t tell because it was so dark and the double yellow lines only separate traffic for like 5 feet or so, if that. Anyhoo… I just kept right on… still at 70mph or so. Suddenly, for no rhyme or reason… Wife woke up. I mean, I can’t even explain how bizarre it was that she woke up. Because it wasn’t like I hit a bump or anything. She just randomly and unusually woke up and looked down the road and saw the same car. Then she said to me very calmly… “Baby, I think that car is in our lane. Please get over.” So, I slid into the right lane. Maybe 5 seconds later… sure enough… that car zipped passed us at probably around 80mph… IN THE SAME LANE I HAD JUST GOTTEN OVER FROM!! So, yea, he/she was definitely heading in the opposite direction in the wrong lane!! Neither of us swerved or blew our horns or really made any kind of acknowledgment/signal about what almost happened. But had I not gotten over, it would have been a wrap for the 3 of us in my car and whoever was in the other car. I did immediately call the state police and reported that there was a driver on the wrong side of the rode… but I have no idea what happened to the driver (or other travelers) after that.
My Wife, Business Partner, and I prayed before leaving VA to head to IN. We also prayed before leaving IN to head back to VA. But… we said a mid-trip prayer of praise following the almost-accident. My Faith compels me to believe that God was all up in that situation. Because while I noticed the car when it was way down the street, I couldn’t really tell that it was in my lane. And I have no idea why I didn’t just get over on my own to be safe. I made the foolish decision to stay in my lane and re-evaluate when I got closer. BUT… somehow… my ‘sleeping beauty’ Wife, who had no reason to be awakened…. miraculously opened her eyes…. and was immediately aware that something was wrong... and calmly told me to switch lanes because that car was coming down our lane.
Mannnn… I can’t Praise God enough for just that ONE thing!!!... let alone ALL the other things He’s done for me, or provided for me, or kept me out of, or delivered me from!!! Who knows how many times He has spared my life (AND YOURS) without us ever even knowing it. It’s a constant reminder that my Work here isn’t done. So I thank God and Praise God for another opportunity to fulfill His purpose for me. I thank God for my Wife, and for using her that day to be a LifeSaver.
Tuestimony (12/11/2018)
As a child, I thought the worst of my Grandma. In my teens, I thought the world of my Grandma. It wasn’t that Grandma had really changed… it was that I was exposed to things and learned some behind-the-scenes things as I got older that helped me realize how dope Grandma was.
I was raised by my Mom and maternal Grandma (my Mom’s Mom). I remember being a kid and not really liking my Grandma a whole lot… for a few reasons:
(1) Grandma used to force my siblings and me to go to Church. Even though sometimes Mom would want to cater to our complaints and let us stay home... Grandma said, "As long as yall are in MY house, yall are comin to Church." Grandma even made me join the Junior Usher team. Because of my character to do things excellently, even though I didn't really want to do it, I still served very well on the team. But, I was super eager to get home and take off my oversized, hand-me-down, uncomfortable black suit and ridiculous cummerbund.
(2) Grandma never gave me any money! Any time we would visit Grandpa, he would give me change from a piggy bank, or $1 bill, or a $2 bill. One time, Grandpa gave me $5 for my 5-year-old Birthday. I was sooo happy! And when we visited my paternal Grandma, she would give me a few bucks too! But nope... not the Grandma I lived with. She always cried broke, and adamantly attempted to convince Mom not to give me any money and not to buy things like toys and fast food. I remember thinking to myself, "Why do you (Grandma) hate me? Why won't you let me get that bike without putting up a fight with my Mom?"
(3) Grandma made me eat black eyed peas every New Year’s Eve. And each year, she added another tablespoon to the required consumption amount. Ewww. They were the yuckiest food ever!! To this day... I have no idea why black eyed peas were/are a tradition!! And I still find them incredibly unyummy!
(4) Grandma spanked me a lot. I wasn't the most mischievous child, but there were times when I broke the rules. And Grandma didn't play that. Mom spanked me, too... but pretty much because Grandma "taught" her to. I could sometimes get over on Ma. But Grandma... NOPE! Grandma used to point at a spot on the floor and say "Cross this (imaginary) line!"... and as soon as I would step foot forward, it was a beating! And if I didn't step forward, she would have beaten me even worse! It didn't matter what was in her hand... her shoe, her slipper, her bare hand, the paddle, a tree branch thingy... she spanked me with all of em. I can still hear her voice: "Turn your hind parts around and pull them pants down!"
So for all ^those^ reasons… as a kid (from maybe 4 til 11-ish)… I had always thought Grandma was rude, mean, selfish, and ran the house like a dictator. When I got to Junior High, I started to notice certain things and I asked questions to my Mom... like "Why does the electricity and water cut off sometimes?" And "Why do you and Grandma fuss sometimes?" All I got from Mom was to mind my business. But Grandma started to let me in on some secrets and explained some financial concepts to me… like fixed retirement income, Welfare, bills, etc. I began to understand that the new Super Nintendo and all those games (that Grandma was against) might be the reason we didn’t have power in the house for 4 days.
At 14… Mom, my Siblings, and I moved out of Grandma’s house and into a house with my Dad. For the two years that we tried things out with Dad, I would walk (or ride a bike) to Grandma’s house every weekend during school years and every day during the summers. My Grandma and I became inseparably super tight!
By the time I was 16… we moved back into Grandma’s house, but Grandma moved into a Senior Living Apartment. This was about 3 miles away. And still… I walked, rode a bike, or drove (when I had a working car) to see Grandma during the summer while I was in High School. Our bond continued to grow stronger as the next few years went by.
Late 2003. I was 19. Grandma started to became really sick. She was in an out of the hospital a little more than usual. So, we knew that it was unlikely that she was gonna be around for another 20 years. At the time, I had an 8y/o Sibling and two 7y/o Siblings. During one of my visits at my Grandmother’s home, she said to me: “Baby, I’m not gonna be here to see your little Brothers and Sister grow up. Promise me that you’re gonna help your Mother look after them.”
December 2005. I was 21. I graduated from a technical college and earned an Associate’s Degree and made Dean’s List throughout my school tenure. Grandma was the first stop I made when I received my certificate of completion…. I drove straight to her place!... I didn’t even call any of my Friends or other Family members. Grandma was the first person to know I had graduated.
January 2006. Grandma was admitted in the Hospital, where she would remain until God called her home a few months later. So, the Family would visit as often as we could, but we knew her time was getting shorter and shorter. One visit, Grandma said to me: “Baby, I’m so proud of you. YOU are gonna lead your Family. I’m so happy I was able to see the Man you’re growing up to be. I saw you graduate from college. You have a dynamite job. You’re not out here running around in these streets. I was there when you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. You were able to forgive your Father (for not being around growing up). You have made me so happy and so proud. I know you are going to do well. I know God has Good plans for you. Remember… take care of your Siblings. Take care of your Mom. YOU are the one that’s gonna be able to do it. I’m ready to go now.”
My Grandma passed away quietly in the Hospital on March 15, 2006, just weeks after she told me she was “ready to go now”. I can’t put into words the emotions I felt. And I can’t count the tears. But, Joy came when I was reminded that her time here was temporary… that her Earthly body was a loan to us, and that God would need her back. My Grandmother was a devout Christian and always talked about her Faith and encouraged others to seek God and put Him first. I do believe that some of God’s Blessings that I have personally received were answers to/results of Grandma’s prayers. When she died, she was 70 years, 10 months, and 28 days old. The Bible doesn’t necessarily say that God promises 70 years on Earth… but Psalm 90:10 suggests that our days are limited and the Psalmist just so happened to specify 70 years as an arbitrary limit.
I praise God that I was able to become so close with my Grandmother, after having ill thoughts about her as a kid. I praise God that Grandma was a faithful servant of His, which gives me the confidence to know that she is in Heaven. I praise God for the life of Beulah Mae Minott.
Tuestimony (12/4/2018)
#Tuestimony
Knowing the right person saved my life one time…. or at least saved me from a potentially life-threatening beatdown.
Back when I was clubbing erry weekend… I went out with my friend, John. John had actually invited his Brother, Paul, to hang out with us, too. I had never met or even heard of Paul before that day the three of us hung out. Paul was very involved in “street life”. We went to a club and had a great time. But after the club is when things got scary!
Club let out at 2am. We mingled for a short bit and then headed out and walked toward our car, which was about 3.5 blocks away. We made it past the first 2 blocks on the main street and then had to turn down the side street to walk the next 1.5 blocks. Paul was walking by himself ahead of me and my buddy John. When John and I turned down the side street, we noticed about 9 guys walking toward us, but they were about 1.5 blocks up (near our car). Mind you… these guys weren’t all walking together. 2 of them were walking in the street. 4 of them were in a cluster walking on the sidewalk (the same sidewalk John and I were walking down). And another 3 of them were in a cluster on the sidewalk a distance behind the group of 4. We didn’t really think too much of it. But John and I did kinda mention to each other that it was weird they were walking toward the club at closing time and that they couldn’t have come from a club/bar/nightspot from their direction, as there was nothing that way but parking. So we were already feeling peculiar. But we continued walking. We noticed Paul (John’s Brother) kinda weave through the first group of 4 guys on the sidewalk. Then John and I decided not to do that. So we hopped off the sidewalk and just walked in the street.
About midway down the street for me and John… the first group of 4 guys had made it to the corner on the sidewalk… and we were about to cross the 2 guys who were walking up the street. Suddenly and for no apparent reason at all… 1 of the guys in the street circled John twice. I mean… while we were walking… the guy walked around John two times. He literally walked between me and John two times and circled him. It was the most bizarre thing!... because I had no idea what was going on or what was about to happen. So after circling him twice, the guy went and stood on the sidewalk and stared at John, right in his eyes, with the meanest facial expression. You could feel the tension. *For reference, the sidewalk was maybe 10 feet from where I was standing.* I calmly asked John, “Hey, do you know this guy?” And John very loudly and aggressively replied, “No, I don’t know this Mother <use your imagination>!!” And then John looked at the guy and said “What’s up N-word!?”
In my mind… I was soooo mad at John for snapping like that. I mean… I agreed with emotion, but I wished he didn’t express his emotions like that or at that time. Because we were clearly outnumbered. I know John had a few drinks so I didn’t know how good he would have been in a fight. I lost sight of his Paul, but I could see the second group of 3 guys still on the sidewalk but not quite up to where we were. (The other 4 guys were still at the corner waiting). So, I immediately went on alert-mode and told myself to be ready in case someone starts swinging. So… the guy responded to John in an equally loud and aggressive manner, “Naw, I ont know you but I ont like the way you eye-ballin me!” So the other guy was walking in the street ran over and jumped on the sidewalk to (to face us) and asked his friend, “Do we got a problem?” At this point, I tried to talk everybody down. I was like “Nah man, we don’t got a problem. We’re just trying to go home. Our car is down there. We just left the club. We ont want no issues. Yall fellas be safe.” But while I was saying all of that… John was sizing them up with his eyes and he was like “Yall the N-words with the problem.” And then John started backing up slowly and reached his arm behind his back in a motion that suggested that he had a gun tucked. John did not have a gun tucked! But this fool thought he would scare/intimidate the guys if they thought he had a gun. Again, in my mind… this was a horrible move! I just started to back away with John and tried to whisper to him to chill out. Then, one of the guys we were talking to yelled out… “Aye yoooo…. They bout to pop off! Come thru!!” So… the 4 guys who were at the corner immediately started running back down the street toward us. At this point, I just knew it was over. Because obviously they called John’s bluff and weren’t intimidated at all. Rather, they seemed excited about a potential shoot-out, and John definitely didn’t have a gun. So either… we were gonna get shot before we could shoot them, or we were gonna get beat to death for pretending like we had guns.
I said a quick prayer… “God, please forgive me for my sins. Amen.” And by the time the 4 guys made it toward me, John, and the 2 guys we were talking to…… Paul ran back up the sidewalk screaming “Yo yo wait, wait!!”. The group of 3 guys that were on the sidewalk was running up behind Paul. Apparently, Paul knew all the guys. But because he was walking separately, they didn’t know that Paul was with us. So when Paul got back to the mix, one of the guys was like “Yo, you vouch for them?” Paul was like “Yea, that’s my Brother (pointing to John). On my father’s side.” The guy said “Oh ok, so he’s cool?” Paul said “Yea he’s cool.” I was feeling so happy and so relieved!! But then the guy pointed at me and was like “What about that N-word?” Paul said “Well, I ont know him like that.” And he paused. So I was back to ohhh snap… It’s over for me! But then Paul continued, “But he’s with my Brother. And if my Brother cool with him, then I’m cool with him.” And then the guy was like “Oh aight.” And they turned around and started talking to each other and Paul. Me and John slowly backed away until we got a good enough distance to turn around and walk normally to the car. A few moments later, Paul got in the car and we went home.
*end of story*
Before that debacle, John and I partied ALL the time. We’ve experienced some close-call situations where we thought we would have to throw hands… but never against ~10 people who laughed at the threat of a gun. So… on this one particular night, we just so happened to hang out with John’s brother… whom I had never met or heard of (because he was kind of a distant brother on John’s Dad’s side)… and we just so happened to get into a spat that was about to turn violent… and it just so happened that Paul knew the guys and was able to diffuse the situation. Perhaps there are some coincidences in the world… but NOT THIS SITUATION. I believe God had a plan for me and it didn’t included getting beat up or killed. Sure, God’s plan could have been for anyone/everyone else in that situation and perhaps sparing me was just a byproduct of God’s plan for someone else. Either way, I walked away unscathed. And my Faith won’t allow me to take it for granted. So, I praise God that John and I was spared that day. I believe it was an indication that God had use (still has use) for me. So, I will continue to put Him first and fulfill my purpose.
DISCLAIMER: The real names are not "John" and "Paul". So if you know anyone named John who has a brother named Paul... it's not them.
Tuestimony (11/27/2018)
Today's Tuesday Testimony is about the impact that this weekly #Tuestimony series has had on at least one person! I am so warmed!
I received a Facebook Message last week from someone expressing that they were deeply moved by my posts. Note: I dont know this person and Im not even sure how we became Friends on Facebook. <For the sake of this report, let's call the person, Casper.> The message came in at 330am. Casper wrote that he/she suffered from severe depression (clinically diagnosed) and asked me to call him/her to talk because I could possibly help. My initial reaction was that of skepticism and uneasiness because this was a random person leaving me his/her phone number at 3 in the morning! So, after a few back and forth more messages over the next few days, Casper convinced me that it was not a joke or anything malicious. So, I called.
At the start of our phone convo, Casper immediately went into details about what he/she had been through that led to depression. I mean... it was some seriously personal stuff that most people likely would have kept secret, especially from a stranger. At first, I was just as wowwed by the stories as I was about the fact that he/she was revealing so much. Then Casper explained that he/she felt so comfortable because of how open I am on social media and the fact that my posts are Public. So Casper continued to share.
Turns out... Casper really didnt need counsel from me or mentorship necessarily. Casper was just looking for someone to vent to, to open up to & share with, to speak to someone who could show any bit of understanding, sympathy, and empathy. Casper acknowledged that he/she was also Christian. We agreed on the belief that because we are still here, then God isnt done with us... regardless of what we'd been through.
It truly Blessed me to hear that my lil ol' words touched a stranger so much so that he/she felt moved enough to reach out to me and open up. I believe that /that/ was an example of how God moves; connecting Believers through testimonies. I love it!
Tuestimony (11/20/2018)
Today's Tuesday Testimony is about me witnessing a few young men turn their lives over to Christ.
This past Sunday, I had the privilege of being in attendance of my Church's Youth Men's Service. Our Youth Pastor and other Leaders ministered to those young men for about 2 hours. At the end of it, YP made the call for Salvation. 3 (coulda been 4) boys who looked between the ages of 12 and 17 boldly raised their hands to signify that they wanted to receive Salvation!
It was beautiful to see! Additions to God's Kingdom! To God be the Glory!
Tuestimony (11/13/2018)
#Tuestimony
**Today's Tuestimony is an extension of last week's (Election Day 11/6/2018) message.**
I thank God for being here in America TODAY.
Over the years, I've been a victim of and personally witnessed others being victims of racial discrimination, racial profiling, unfair treatment, and other racial injustices. I've heard several 1st-hand stories from my Elders about struggles they endured as Blacks in America. Ive also heard 2nd-hand stories from those same Elders that were told to them by their Elders. They explained why certain things was so important for me in this day because they were around before and during major shifts in this country. Things like Segregation, "Jim Crow Laws", "Brown vs Board of Education", Dr. King, Malcom X, Black Panthers, and other things of the like. I was a Kid when the injustices against Rodney King happened... so while I didnt have (or fully understand) all the historical or surrounding context, I had some inkling of exposure to how Blacks were treated.
I remember my Grandma telling she didnt care who I dated, as long as I didnt bring home a White girl. And if you knew my Grandma, then you'd know that she was a Lover of all people, regardless of race. But she was an Adult during the time of Emitt Till. So it wasnt that she was against White people or that she forbade me from dating a White girl. -- It was because my Grandma was still legitimately (and probably rightfully) scared for ME over what could happen to me if I dated a White girl.
Okay. I said ^all that^ because one of the reasons I vote is because of my ancestral heritage. (In other words... because Im Black). I realize how silly that may sound, but even having a smidgen of knowledge about what my Ancestors went through here in this country... makes me feel both obligated and honored to exercise my right to vote... in every election. Having experienced or witnessed forms of racial injustice compels me to speak out through my vote.
Also, I vote because I care about other things, too. My Wife and I are planning for a Family one day. I want to be confident in our Education Systems for them. I want to be confident that they will be safe and can be protected. I want to be confident that they will receive the right education and by the right Teachers.
So, ultimately, Im expressing that Im praiseful for being here in America. Again, I dont know experientially what it is like to live in another country. And I have only minimal knowledge/insight about living in other countries. But with the information and experiences I do have... I thank God that Im here. I thank God for keeping me through the painful things Ive endured and witnessed. I thank God for the progress we've made from our first Governmental System to Today's Governmental System, realizing we still face challenges that we need to address and correct. Im grateful for where we are. I pray that God uses me, even for the smallest/simplest of tasks, in a way that positively impacts others in this generation as well as the next generation.
#WontHeDoIt!
Tuestimony (11/6/2018)
#Tuestimony
[Part 1 of 2. Check out Tuesday Testimony on 11/13/18 for Part 2]
I thank God that I am here in America, that I am a Citizen, and that I have the right to Vote.
DISCLAIMER. I dont know experientially what it is like to live in another country. Also, I have only minimal knowledge/insight about living in other countries.
Nonetheless, I am happy and proud to be American. I live in a country where I can publicly express my disdain and outright disgust for some of my Governmental Leaders, Authorities, Politicians, and the like. << Without being retaliated against. I live in a country that allows me to have a voice -- by VOTING -- in choosing our Leadership. I live in a country where I can start/own a business. I live in a country where I can freely be Christian while others can be freely believe in other Faiths and we can all still attend the same function.
I praise God for being an American. I realize neither branch of Government is flawless (or even remotely close to it). But understanding how far we have made it (while not misunderstanding how far we still need to go) gives me a sense of Love, Respect, and Honor for being here today. Additionally, it gives me a sense of responsibility to vote. I wont pretend that Ive voted in every election that I was eligible to vote in... but that's on me. The fact that Ive had the right to is enough for me to give God praise for.
Personally, I dont vote 'just to vote', but no knock on anyone who does. Rather, I strongly encourage everyone (including myself) to know what you're voting for, who you're voting for, and why you vote. I praise God that today, it's easier for me to research Candidates and access information about ballot issues. I thank God that I live in a Democracy (although there are kinks) where I can be represented in its Leadership.
Go Vote! #ElectionDay2018
#WontHeDoIt!
Tuestimony (10/30/2018)
#Tuestimony
Part 3: OCCASION: Sister Choked on Fish
I believe that God gives Parents supernatural intuition, instincts, and ability to Love, Care for, and Protect their children. I distinctly recall at least three occasions when one of my siblings’ lives was at risk and Mom or Dad’s quick reactions saved them.
|| The following is my account of one time when my Sister Choked on Fish ||
My Sister was like 2 or 3. Mom and Sis were in the kitchen, eating fish with the bones in. Of course, Mom would carefully inspect the piece of fish (and extract the bones) before giving any to Sis. Well… Mom came into the living room for something and left her plate sitting there in the kitchen. Sister reached up and grabbed a piece a fish and ate it. From the living room, we heard Sister choking very alarmingly! I mean… it was scary-sounding! Me and Mom ran into the kitchen to see what was going. Lil Sis was just standing there, face tightly scrunched, eyes squinted, tears running down, head moving back and forth on her neck as she coughed, trying to get it out. I was soooo worried, because I still hadn’t put together why she was choking. But Mom immediately knew that it was fish bone. Mom grabbed Sis up, laid her flat on her lap, and hit her on her back a few times. But… that didn’t work. So then Mom turned her over and kinda sat her up. Mom opened her mouth and could actually see the piece of fish. So she stuck her hand in and was able to pull the chunk of food out with her fingers. Sis was all good after that!
I thank and praise God for the Blessed connection He establishes between Parent and Child. I pray that I will have that kind of intuition and instinct when I become a Father.
Tuestimony (10/23/2018)
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Part 2: OCCASION: Sister Almost Drowned
I believe that God gives Parents supernatural intuition, instincts, and ability to Love, Care for, and Protect their children. I distinctly recall at least three occasions when one of my siblings’ lives was at risk and Mom or Dad’s quick reactions saved them.
|| The following is my account of one time when my Sister Almost Drowned ||
I was 5, my Sister was 4, and my older Brother was 10. My Dad took us to Water Country (water theme park). We were on a tube water ride… the one where the tube is shaped like an 8 and two people sit on it (1 person on each circle) and ride along the water trail. Sister and Dad rode a tube together and my Brother & I shared a tube right behind them. As Dad and Sis got to the end and were ready to get out, Dad turned back to me and Bro and yelled something to us. We said something back and laughed and were filled with smiles and blissful joy. But when he turned back around, Sister was no longer in the tube. Dad looked around and didn’t see her on the platform where they were supposed to get out. Apparently, she had slipped thru the hole in the tube and gone under water. He couldn’t see where she was under the water, cuz she slighted drifted from directly beneath the tube. He just stuck his arm down in the water and swayed it. He felt her foot, gripped it with one hand, and yanked her up out of the water (all while balancing himself as he was seated in his part of the tube). When he pulled her up, her head was bleeding because when she fell thru, she panicked under water (she couldn’t swim) and went head first into the cement at the bottom of the water. She had breathed in water and was choking a bit when he got her out, but everything turned out fine and there was no need for CPR or anything like that. Just a band-aide for her forehead. (I think it was the right move for Dad to stay in the tube and reach down to grab her out….. because had he just jumped out of the tube and into the water, he could have possibly landed on her and made things worse, as he didn’t know where she was under the water).
I thank and praise God for the Blessed connection He establishes between Parent and Child. I pray that I will have that kind of intuition and instinct when I become a Father.
Tuestimony (10/16/2018)
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Part 1: OCCASION: Brother Experienced a BRUE
I believe that God gives Parents supernatural intuition, instincts, and ability to Love, Care for, and Protect their children. I distinctly recall at least three occasions when one of my siblings’ lives was at risk and Mom or Dad’s quick reactions saved them.
|| The following is my account of one time when my Brother experienced a BRUE ||
*This is by far one of the most amazing and bizarre experiences I’ve had in witnessing a Parent’s intuition*.
I was 12 and Baby Brother was not even 1 year old yet. Mom and I were in the living room (front of house) watching TV and Baby Bro was asleep in the bedroom (back of house). I was sitting there enjoying the movie and suddenly and abruptly Mom turned to me and said “Hey, did you hear that?” in a panicky kinda voice.
I was like… “Uhh, hear what? No, I didn’t hear anything.”
Then Mom said, “You didn’t hear Antonio? It sounded like he stopped breathing.”
I was like “What? Ma, what are you talking about? How can you hear someone NOT BREATHING? You’re not supposed to hear him Ma… he’s asleep and he doesn’t snore!”
She told me to hold on and went to check on him. And sure enough… the lil dude had stopped breathing in his sleep! She called to him and moved his limbs and rubbed his face and shook his tummy… until he woke up and started breathing again.
<Apparently, Doctors said this was common, but there is no known cause for this. Medical industry once referred to this type of occurrence as Apparent Life-Threatening Event (ALTE) but recently have termed it “Brief Resolved Unexplained Event” (BRUE).>
I was and still am blown away by the fact that while the TV was on in the living room and my infant Brother was asleep in the bedroom with the door closed… Mom was able to HEAR SILENCE and recognize that something wasn’t right with her Child. Oh my Goodness! That is one for the books that I will never be able to explain or fully comprehend, but I will also never forget.
I thank and praise God for the Blessed connection He establishes between Parent and Child. I pray that I will have that kind of intuition and instinct when I become a Father
Tuestimony (10/9/2018)
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I praise God that I woke up this morning (for I know that several people were not as fortunate). Because I breathe, I believe God has a purpose for me. For God to have kept me, even after the countless times I have let Him down, being alive today shows how merciful and loving God is. My prayer is to be used by Him and to fulfill His plan for my life.
Tuestimony (10/2/2018)
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*This is kind of my Father’s testimony I guess, BUT… since I was deeply affected by the experience and because I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me sharing… I’m gonna tell it. This story details the LIFE-CHANGING moment that made my Father decide to be active and involved in his Children’s lives, as that wasn’t always the case.*
My Mother and Father separated when I was a tiny tot.The three of us were raised by Mother and Grandmother (my older Brother by 5 years, my younger Sister by 1 year, and me). We saw our Father every once in a while, so it wasn’t like he was totally absent… but it also wasn’t often enough for him to have had a hand in parenting us. Pops was “in the streets” back then and didn’t put any effort into being around more or fighting for any kind of custody. He missed a gazillion school-related events that Parents were invited to and other activities we were involved in outside of school.
Okay… so… even though they were separated, Mom would still go see Dad on occasion. When I was 10 (my Brother was 15 and my Sister was 9), Mommy was pregnant with a boy. A year after that, Mommy was pregnant again with twins: a boy and a girl. At that time, Dad was still “in the streets” and continued to be involved with us Kids only on ‘blue moon’ days. BUT… Everything changed when I was 14.
Something went horrifically wrong with a “street deal” my Dad was involved in. Violence resulted and my Dad nearly lost his life. And by that… I mean Ambulance Paramedics weren’t sure that they could keep him alive during the ride to the hospital. And even the Doctors refrained from assuring the Family that he’d be fine, because there was a chance that he wouldn’t make it. The injuries he suffered required quite a bit of surgery and recovery time in the hospital… but he ended up coming out of everything just fine. While in the hospital, he had a lot of time to reflect on his life and his family. And he realized something and decided to make a change.
<<Here is the picture: My Brother was 19 and had already gone off to a college away from home. I was 14 and already working. My Sister was 13. There was an 11-year gap between us and the next set of Kids… I had a 3yo Brother, and a 2yo Brother & Sister (twins).>>
In my Father’s mind, what he realized was that he was meant to raise 2 boys and a girl. He kinda missed out on raising the first set, as we were pretty much already grown-up in our own ways without a lot of help/influence from him. So, when he almost lost his life, he realized he had three little Kids who were almost in a situation where they didn’t really know their Father at all. But just knowing him was no longer good enough; he wanted to be involved. So when he was released from the hospital, he made a decision to leave the streets alone and fight for the chance to be a “Father” to his Children.
The first couple years weren’t easy for me. Mom kinda gave Dad a chance and agreed to move all of us together into a separate house and we left Grandma alone in her house. So then in the new house with both Mom & Dad……. Dad tried to establish and enforce rules that we didn’t have at Grandma’s house. And oh boy I didn’t like that!! I started basing up to my Dad and putting my foot down and explaining how I had been the “Man of the house” since I was working and paying bills and changing my younger Siblings’ diapers and bathing them every night and all that. So, for the whole year in the house away from Grandma… I did notice Dad being a good, active, Father to my younger Siblings. But he and I didn’t see eye-to-eye when it came to him parenting me. Plus, Mom & Dad’s relationship with each other was still sour and only got worse. So, a year after trying to be together in our own house… Mom and Dad ‘separated again’ and Mom and us Kids moved back in with Grandma.
Dad backed off on trying to “Father” me and focused on doing everything he could for the little ones. He started going to Church with one of my Uncles. He received Salvation and invited me to Church with him. After attending a few times, I eventually prayed for and received Salvation and I joined the Church. I was 16 at that time and since then, my Father and I have had a fantastic relationship. He filled me in about the things that went on in his life when I was young… and the pain, guilt, and shame that he had for dropping the ball on raising his first set of kids. We had real talks about how appealing street life could be and how one could easily get caught up, esp with where he grew up. We talked about how the guy he used to be in the streets with (my Uncle) was the same guy that brought my Dad to Church. He shared with me some behind-the-scenes details between him and Mommy and their relationship. As best as he could, without creating super ugly legal battles with Mom, he did his best at being a Father to my younger Siblings.
I thank God that the enemy didn’t maintain a hold over my Father or take him out.
I thank God that my Father had a revelation that he had a meaningful purpose here on Earth.
I thank God that I was able to forgive my Father and let go of the resentment I had earlier on.
I thank God for transforming tragedy into triumph.
I thank God for the relationship that my Father and I have now.
#WontHeDoIT!
Tuestimony (9/25/2018)
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For today's Tuestimony, instead of sharing another story of my own... I am going to Copy/Paste a "Praise Report" that someone sent to me recently, exactly as she wrote it. I thank God that you are okay, Mama Janet (James), and I pray that the others are okay.
SAVED FROM A CAR ACCIDENT:
Today was just “another day” up until around noon. I was at a stop light in the far left lane on Parham Road waiting for the green arrow so I could turn left on to Mayland. Suddenly, with no warning at all, I see this large vehicle coming toward me from the opposite side of the road, very fast and at a weird angle (I didn’t realize that the vehicle was about to flip over). Everything happened so fast and I braced for impact because there wasn’t time to do anything else. I knew I was about to be hit hard. But then I wasn’t (and it was only God that I wasn’t) because that vehicle was coming straight at me but then flipped over without touching my car. I along with others stopped to help the two people out of the car that flipped. I just PRAISE GOD for His protection and Psalm 91 Angels that HE makes sure watch out and over us. I think this is how the rapture will be – quick, suddenly and with no time to do or say anything. I am Grateful to the Lord and still thanking Him (this was my 2nd Miracle in two days!!! God is Awesome times infinity. Praise our Lord and Savior JESUS the Christ Forever and Ever without end.