My Seeds of Life

How do we get back to God? People ask this question in different ways, but it usually comes from the same place—a desire to feel close to God again, to feel forgiven, connected, and grounded. If our focus is collectively getting back to God, here's what 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and heal their land."  However, let's ask this question from an individual point of view. Usually, this question is asked when we have exhausted all our human methods only to find ourselves trapped in the same situation. This question gets asked when we've shared our problems with everyone who we thought would listen, and no one has an answer, could care less, or has issues of their own. However, if you've reached the point where you've asked yourself this question, half the battle is over!

In this blog, I want to invite your intellect and summon your senses. Allow me to share some thoughts on an important topic that continues to affect Chicago: the ongoing challenge of reducing violence in their communities. While there is no single solution, meaningful progress often comes from combining several approaches that reinforce one another. Many will say, and I agree, only God can fix this issue and yes, He can. But what do they do in the meantime? Some will say, just blow up the city and start over...really! Let's be real. Chicago's violence is born out of a deep cycle of generational violent history. A more relative question then would be, how do they break the cycle? I bring this to your attention, because after Chicago, who's next?

Hi there, I want to share some thoughts and insights on a topic that seems to be affecting many of us: the impact of external influences on our mental well-being? I want to use just good old common sense and not get all technical or psychological, so that we all can understand. There are tons of books, articles, and media related information in the world today, but most is too complexed for a person to read and grasp without an advanced degree. So, in my seeding, let me see if I can break this down to its lowest terms. In this fast-paced, ever-changing world, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant stream of information, expectations, and pressures coming from all directions.

It is my hope you're all doing well. I wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts that have been weighing heavily on my mind. Thoughts about the direction of our nation and the shared responsibility we all carry in shaping its future.

You know, when we stop and think about all that's happening in and around the United States of America, none of this makes sense. I wonder if I might share some of my personal reflections with you. There's been growing conversations across communities, workplaces, and the media about whether America is experiencing a period of moral decline. While opinions vary widely, it's clear we are facing a combination of economic, social, civil and global challenges that merit our deepest attentions. Yes, we have quote unquote immigration and border control...issues! Yes, we have an upswing in gun violence in the street...issues! Yes, we have the constant threat of wars and rumors of wars while the governing body of these United States which, by the way, is supposed to uphold the laws of the constitution, the rights, the civil liberties, execute justice for all persons, and maintain the welfare for the citizens of this once great country, are content to play "bully in the pen" with each other while losing a real sense of awareness...issues! Government shutdowns, social programs and budget cuts to our senior citizens who worked all their lives to make this country what it is, now has to believe and hope in a dying Social Security system wondering how long before their fixed income becomes a vanishing reality and leaves them with the ever pressing question, "Lord, what am I going to do?"...issues! How is it that the new administration all of a sudden has become the crowned king checker piece on the board of political powers, jumps from human suffrage in the Russian / Ukraine conflict, jumps to threatening Mexico to intervene in their cartel problems, jumps to deposing a president in Venezuela, while ICE Police are gunning down civilian American citizens in the streets and justifying their actions...issues! I don't know, but somebody wasn't paying attention to Sir Isaac Newton who put it this way, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"...issues! I don't care who you supported or voted for in the elections; we have a line of criminals in offices from the White House to the Out House...issues! Together these trends have led to a sense of uncertainty about this nation's direction even inducing radical groups to take up arms and defend the streets across this nation.

Wow... it's been a minute since I last sit down and wrote my thoughts down. I really thought I was at a dead end or that I was repeating myself. I've continued to follow the news feeds hoping to see some new revelations or some new programs and actions to curb the direction our young men are heading. I'm disappointed to say, I've seen no changes, and the outlook is getting much worse.

Hello world, can we get real...seriously? Let this resonate with you for a moment. Easter weekend, over 140 people shot in several cities across this country. These incidents occurred at parties, malls, or family gatherings. According to a recent CNN report, these random shootings are becoming another pandemic in America. In 4 months, 155 mass shootings from coast to coast with many cities having repetitive events. Where does this all end? How do we get a grip on all of this gun violence? I know that this question has been asked over countless times. Now, May 2022 sees 21 elementary school children and teacher murdered by a 18 year old young man in Uvalde, Texas packing an AR-15 assault rifle . My gosh...I have a real heavy heart mainly because I am from Texas and even in my wildest dreams I would not have envisioned this! My heart goes out to each and everyone in Uvalde, Texas that lost someone in this senseless act. I have grand children the age of some of these who lost their lives and I've got to tell you, if this doesn't break your heart, I don't know what will. Our history of gun violence and death is not something that we as Texans are proud of. We have a long list of incidents that has painted Texas a violent, gun reveling, cowboy shoot'em up kind of a state. This last situation leaves a lot to be desired. Please don't judge our great state by what has taken place historically. We have proven time and time again, we have the propensity to rebound and come back from the brink of destruction. 

In theory, there exist two kinds of lies or two categories: a little white lie and a black lie. A black lie is a statement we make that we absolutely know is false. A white lie is a statement that we make that is not in itself false but leaves out a large part of the truth. The fact that a lie is white does not make it any less of a lie or any more acceptable. Little white lies can be just as destructive as black ones.

Having touched upon some of the ways in which parental love or its lack thereof may influence the development of self-discipline in general, let's be real and look at some of the more subtle yet quite devasting ways in which difficulties in delaying relief or satisfaction affect the lives of most adults. Some of us have developed sufficient capacity to forego self-satisfaction to make it through high school or college and launch out upon adulthood without landing in jail, our development nonetheless tends to be imperfect and flawed with the results that our ability to solve life's problems is still imperfect and at best incomplete. Seriously, who among us can say that they devoted ample time to analyzing their children's problems or tensions within the family? Who out there is so self-disciplined that he or she never says in the face of family problems, "this is way beyond me!" 

I need to be clear about something, it is not that the homes of these unself-disciplined boys are lacking in parental discipline. Often than not, these young boys are punished frequently and severely throughout their childhood. They are slapped, punched, kicked, beaten and whipped by their parents for even minor infractions. Here's a news bulletin for you, this discipline is meaningless. It is meaningless because it is undisciplined discipline.

"How can you repair what has never existed? What cell number do you dial when there is nowhere to call? When there is no address to find, where do you look?" What door do you unlock if there is no key?

It has been echoed down through the years that a mind is a terrible thing to waste! I believe it simply implies or states, if you don't use your mind wisely, you will waste it foolishly. If you don't govern your thoughts, your thoughts will govern you! Shock alert! Here's where we are with our young boys and men today. With every violent act that disrupts the status quo of normal life, a young man is temporarily out of his normal mind. The mind has the ability to trap us in a virtual realm that doesn't exist or bring us to an outcome or conclusion that is not of factual design. Dreams are universal human experiences that can be described as a state of consciousness characterized by sensor, cognitive and emotional occurrences. 

How do we get back to God? People ask this question in different ways, but it usually comes from the same place—a desire to feel close to God again, to feel forgiven, connected, and grounded. If our focus is collectively getting back to God, here's what 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and heal their land."  However, let's ask this question from an individual point of view. Usually, this question is asked when we have exhausted all our human methods only to find ourselves trapped in the same situation. This question gets asked when we've shared our problems with everyone who we thought would listen, and no one has an answer, could care less, or has issues of their own. However, if you've reached the point where you've asked yourself this question, half the battle is over!

In this blog, I want to invite your intellect and summon your senses. Allow me to share some thoughts on an important topic that continues to affect Chicago: the ongoing challenge of reducing violence in their communities. While there is no single solution, meaningful progress often comes from combining several approaches that reinforce one another. Many will say, and I agree, only God can fix this issue and yes, He can. But what do they do in the meantime? Some will say, just blow up the city and start over...really! Let's be real. Chicago's violence is born out of a deep cycle of generational violent history. A more relative question then would be, how do they break the cycle? I bring this to your attention, because after Chicago, who's next?

Hi there, I want to share some thoughts and insights on a topic that seems to be affecting many of us: the impact of external influences on our mental well-being? I want to use just good old common sense and not get all technical or psychological, so that we all can understand. There are tons of books, articles, and media related information in the world today, but most is too complexed for a person to read and grasp without an advanced degree. So, in my seeding, let me see if I can break this down to its lowest terms. In this fast-paced, ever-changing world, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant stream of information, expectations, and pressures coming from all directions.

It is my hope you're all doing well. I wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts that have been weighing heavily on my mind. Thoughts about the direction of our nation and the shared responsibility we all carry in shaping its future.

You know, when we stop and think about all that's happening in and around the United States of America, none of this makes sense. I wonder if I might share some of my personal reflections with you. There's been growing conversations across communities, workplaces, and the media about whether America is experiencing a period of moral decline. While opinions vary widely, it's clear we are facing a combination of economic, social, civil and global challenges that merit our deepest attentions. Yes, we have quote unquote immigration and border control...issues! Yes, we have an upswing in gun violence in the street...issues! Yes, we have the constant threat of wars and rumors of wars while the governing body of these United States which, by the way, is supposed to uphold the laws of the constitution, the rights, the civil liberties, execute justice for all persons, and maintain the welfare for the citizens of this once great country, are content to play "bully in the pen" with each other while losing a real sense of awareness...issues! Government shutdowns, social programs and budget cuts to our senior citizens who worked all their lives to make this country what it is, now has to believe and hope in a dying Social Security system wondering how long before their fixed income becomes a vanishing reality and leaves them with the ever pressing question, "Lord, what am I going to do?"...issues! How is it that the new administration all of a sudden has become the crowned king checker piece on the board of political powers, jumps from human suffrage in the Russian / Ukraine conflict, jumps to threatening Mexico to intervene in their cartel problems, jumps to deposing a president in Venezuela, while ICE Police are gunning down civilian American citizens in the streets and justifying their actions...issues! I don't know, but somebody wasn't paying attention to Sir Isaac Newton who put it this way, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"...issues! I don't care who you supported or voted for in the elections; we have a line of criminals in offices from the White House to the Out House...issues! Together these trends have led to a sense of uncertainty about this nation's direction even inducing radical groups to take up arms and defend the streets across this nation.

Wow... it's been a minute since I last sit down and wrote my thoughts down. I really thought I was at a dead end or that I was repeating myself. I've continued to follow the news feeds hoping to see some new revelations or some new programs and actions to curb the direction our young men are heading. I'm disappointed to say, I've seen no changes, and the outlook is getting much worse.

Hello world, can we get real...seriously? Let this resonate with you for a moment. Easter weekend, over 140 people shot in several cities across this country. These incidents occurred at parties, malls, or family gatherings. According to a recent CNN report, these random shootings are becoming another pandemic in America. In 4 months, 155 mass shootings from coast to coast with many cities having repetitive events. Where does this all end? How do we get a grip on all of this gun violence? I know that this question has been asked over countless times. Now, May 2022 sees 21 elementary school children and teacher murdered by a 18 year old young man in Uvalde, Texas packing an AR-15 assault rifle . My gosh...I have a real heavy heart mainly because I am from Texas and even in my wildest dreams I would not have envisioned this! My heart goes out to each and everyone in Uvalde, Texas that lost someone in this senseless act. I have grand children the age of some of these who lost their lives and I've got to tell you, if this doesn't break your heart, I don't know what will. Our history of gun violence and death is not something that we as Texans are proud of. We have a long list of incidents that has painted Texas a violent, gun reveling, cowboy shoot'em up kind of a state. This last situation leaves a lot to be desired. Please don't judge our great state by what has taken place historically. We have proven time and time again, we have the propensity to rebound and come back from the brink of destruction. 

In theory, there exist two kinds of lies or two categories: a little white lie and a black lie. A black lie is a statement we make that we absolutely know is false. A white lie is a statement that we make that is not in itself false but leaves out a large part of the truth. The fact that a lie is white does not make it any less of a lie or any more acceptable. Little white lies can be just as destructive as black ones.

Having touched upon some of the ways in which parental love or its lack thereof may influence the development of self-discipline in general, let's be real and look at some of the more subtle yet quite devasting ways in which difficulties in delaying relief or satisfaction affect the lives of most adults. Some of us have developed sufficient capacity to forego self-satisfaction to make it through high school or college and launch out upon adulthood without landing in jail, our development nonetheless tends to be imperfect and flawed with the results that our ability to solve life's problems is still imperfect and at best incomplete. Seriously, who among us can say that they devoted ample time to analyzing their children's problems or tensions within the family? Who out there is so self-disciplined that he or she never says in the face of family problems, "this is way beyond me!" 

I need to be clear about something, it is not that the homes of these unself-disciplined boys are lacking in parental discipline. Often than not, these young boys are punished frequently and severely throughout their childhood. They are slapped, punched, kicked, beaten and whipped by their parents for even minor infractions. Here's a news bulletin for you, this discipline is meaningless. It is meaningless because it is undisciplined discipline.

"How can you repair what has never existed? What cell number do you dial when there is nowhere to call? When there is no address to find, where do you look?" What door do you unlock if there is no key?

It has been echoed down through the years that a mind is a terrible thing to waste! I believe it simply implies or states, if you don't use your mind wisely, you will waste it foolishly. If you don't govern your thoughts, your thoughts will govern you! Shock alert! Here's where we are with our young boys and men today. With every violent act that disrupts the status quo of normal life, a young man is temporarily out of his normal mind. The mind has the ability to trap us in a virtual realm that doesn't exist or bring us to an outcome or conclusion that is not of factual design. Dreams are universal human experiences that can be described as a state of consciousness characterized by sensor, cognitive and emotional occurrences.