WhaT tHe HeARt wANts

Honestly, I have heard this more times than I can stand. 
God knows my heart.   

It's not that I disagree. I was actually sharing a similar concept with the children in our Sunday School just this past weekend.

If your Samsung television goes on the fritz while you're watching your favorite show, you don't call your Ford dealer to get assistance. The manufacturer is always the best source of information and wisdom since they are the actual makers of the product. Who knows your heart better than the heart's maker? He does know your heart. He knows every thought, intent, and machination inside of it. Let that sink in for a bit.   

I know there are plenty of folks that get their advice from Dear Abby, the local fortune teller, or their best friend who just seems to know a little something about everything. But at some point, we all come to realize during our investigation of life's little mysteries, we could find it necessary to go directly to the source. You won't have to go anywhere else once that happens. You won't be placed on hold and transferred to another department that doesn't understand or is not experienced with your kind of issue. You may not like or enjoy the answer but you will get the correct diagnosis of the issue.   

Ask your friends if they ever heard the phrase "The heart wants what the heart wants". This is not a sentiment that I agree with for a lot of reasons. I know of a lady that really wanted a man to be her husband and she did everything within her power and means to have that man. She was successful. It just so happened that this same man was already married for more than two decades with multiple children. The heart wants what it wants, right? We don't need to look too hard to validate what we want and justify why we should have it. We can be as mean and cold and devious as the situation may require. As long as we get what we want, I suppose? This is just a worst case scenario that is practically a staple in our world. But how does this look within organization?  

Raise your hands if you're part of an organization. Everyone's hands should be up. We are all part of some kind of organization whether it be a school, a Fortune 500 company, a college or university, a biker club, or some sort of community based committee. We belong to something. Actually, it is important to many of us that we are involved in some kind of organization. It is good to be around like minded individuals who believe in something worthwhile and who think they can help make the world a better place. (I don't advocate extreme versions of any organization in that description. Just inching towards a larger overall point)

I am a part of several organizations and you know what I noticed? If the heart of the leader is not towards the people, it doesn't matter how many committee meetings you have, or how many events you plan, or how many teleconferences you have sit in on, you will not be able to convince the people who work hard and give their service diligently that the organization is going in the right direction. Many a great man have tried but you honestly can't delegate heart. You can give out tasks, duties, and assignment. Any good administrator can do that but you simply can't give somebody else something you don't have. You can't reproduce heart unless you actually possess some yourself. 

But that's exactly what many leaders of organization do. They say "get out there and show your stuff" but they cannot teach you. They say "I can't promote you until you meet criteria A, B, and C but your work duties and, largely, the work culture make meeting A, B, and C impossible. D and E might be available but they simply don't help you meet your goals. They tell you what you can do but, as leaders, they are ill equipped to help you get there. Still they retain the expectation that you should do so, just without their assistance and without infringing on their personal schedule. 

Do the cries of the people make you look up from your cell phone and acknowledge there's a problem? Do the outpouring of organizational voices compel you to adjust your rigid plan after years of failure have become your trademark? Does the needs of the community outweigh the personal aspirations and one dimensional views of one selfish man?

Have you ever had a leader that you have worked for or around for over a decade and he/she still doesn't know your name or find it profitable to look you into the eye and hold a 3 minute conversation with you? I have. Have you ever tried to connect with a leader in your organization and they won't look up from their Facebook page long enough to say hello? I have. How about a leader that believes their shack is a mansion and you are the hired help? I most definitely have. Working is not something that offends me. Having to use outdated, rusted tools to work when others are available offends me. This is symbolic of leaders without heart for the organization, the mission, and the people needed to carry it out.

The sad part is that the people are not as blind as these kind of leaders think they are. Just because they don't publicly voice their displeasure or speak through company surveys, they recognize that there is an empty space in the chest of the leaders where their hearts are supposed to be. It's only a matter of time before they decide to stop following. Anybody can give directives. Anyone can say what you need to do to be successful in only 5 easy steps.  Anybody can step back and blame the organization's lack of progress on your efforts and your failure to do more. In modern times, that's called a pyramid. What's really impressive is a leader willing to put his or her hands to the tough situations and grind until the situation is resolved. Those kind of leaders are obviously harder to find than ever. If you ever find yourself looking for competent and effective leadership in organization, don't look for the sound of a leader telling you what they are going to do or what you should do. Look for the leader that is actually putting their hands to the work and find their effort valuable and worthwhile enough that they will do it themselves if no one else will. That could be an example worth learning from. If you are a leader of people in any capacity, what does your heart want? Now ask if that answer is best for you or for others.

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV)

TipPinG sCAleS

I don't know if this even moves the needle for you. You got a busy life and you got kids and the news is just a small appendage to the hectic lifestyle you lead. Occasionally you might hear about an event that tickles your fancy or you may hear about a tragedy that hits home for you. Maybe it makes you so uncomfortable that you change the channel to something funny or benign instead. You had a hard day at work. Who needs all that messy reality stuff, right? You might prefer the "other" reality TV instead. Oh by the way, did you hear that Becca is getting married again? Um hmm.

For the few of you that have a heart for community and humanity and fully recognize that any time and in any space in time, our lives could be irrevocably changed by a bullet fired on all grounds, a speeding car driven by a distracted teen, or turning on the kitchen faucet and seeing brown water, this might be just for you.

This isn't a discussion about whether there is equality in our world or not. That's a pointless argument. All you have to do is look around to get insights. All you have to do is converse with some of your city's citizens and actually listen to what they have to say to gain wisdom. 

There's no real surprises here except that so many just refuse to acknowledge what is clear, evident, and present in the every day. Some of us are privileged to get a free refill of coffee in places that's not normally allowed. Some are allowed to circumvent policies where others would be harshly rebuked, fined, or sanctioned. 

People have been fighting for equal rights since time began. Our history books are way late to the party. I can't even tell you that life is fair and in a level playing field, we'd all make the same decisions and ensure the same results or outcomes. I don't know. 

What I do know is that there is an elephant in the room and he stinks and he's messy. Ignoring the damage caused is a willful act. It's not neglect and it's not a case of being too busy. It's just two eyes that are uncomfortable with what they see and seeing means inherent responsibility and a simple human response to change that must be met. Most people just don't like accountability. If it can be free and easy without consequence, then it's much more desirable. 

You have more rights now than we've ever had in history. You have the right to pick up your remote control and turn the channel but incase you choose to keep it where it is, you might see what I saw on two local news broadcast in the city of Charleston, SC. 

Two children missing for a week with amber alerts. Only one has five minutes of coverage, and impassioned pleas of how much the parents love their children. 

Two families grieve the loss of family members gunned down in acts of random violence. Only one has eight minutes of coverage with eulogies, stories about how much the deceased means to the community from friends and family, testimonies from co-workers, politicians, and others, along with rewards and Go Fund Me accounts. 

Although this is about the news, it's not news. This is fairly standard operating procedure on many news broadcasts....in certain areas of the country. 

Is this a media issue, a financial issue, or something else altogether? What are you seeing in your city and the media's coverage of it? 

It's really beginning to appear that hearts of men and women are growing colder by the day. Close your eyes. Turn the channel. Look away. It's getting easier to insulate ourselves from truth. 

This isn't a rallying cry. I'm just asking some questions that I hope promote some dialogue and perhaps help us to understand and listen to one another. It doesn't affect you and maybe it never will but do we really want to wait until that impossibility becomes possible?  In the event I'm unclear, I'm saying there's a chance. Please share your thoughts, answers, and comments. Maybe we'll take a step up instead of a step back. 

"There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know." ~ John Heywood

DeaTH of A sPoRTs FanATiC

There will be a ceremony.
But there will not be a body in the casket.

There will be an epitaph.
But there will not be any need for flowers. 

The day is swiftly approaching. I can feel the winds of change blowing. I can sense the tide is turning. Only those that suffer the same "affliction" are in a position to understand.

Has it ever occurred to you to ask how a "sports fanatic" is made?
Despite the popular boasts on message boards around the world, they are not born from the womb. They are indeed made.

They're made from geographical and familial expectations and traditions. They're made from within marriages and long standing friendships. They're forged out of respect and pride and unseen obligations. Most sports fanatics are hard pressed to trace where their intense fandom even started from. They simply follow. Or blindly do so.

If you have known me for even a brief time, you have heard me speak passionately about the New York Yankees, Mets, and Knicks and NY area college basketball, all of which have begun to wane in interest as the years go on. But I have always been able to wax poetic about the New York Football Giants and the Michigan Wolverines. Out of all of my sports loves, these two have been a constant. I have held onto these with a white knuckle grip....until now.

Many of my readers will speculate as to the "why" but it doesn't have anything to do with anthem protests, touchdown celebrations, my teams' win-loss record, or Papa John's. I don't believe what I am about to say this but I am not as excited about sports as I used to be. I don't think I am a "fanatic" anymore. 

What does that word mean anyway? "It is a person filled with excessive and single minded zeal, noted by militant or extreme devotion."

That's what you see played out on forums and message boards when you make a disparaging comment about someone's team or their favorite players. You could like get death threats or be firebombed with obscenities and racial slurs. That's extreme. I have been known to get into intense verbal altercations about my teams and "First Take" has got nothing on the kind of battles we used to and still often have at our break room lunch table. We are engaged in fiery debate almost daily.

Winston Churchill said, "A fanatic can't change his mind and won't change the subject."

Philosopher George Santayana said, "A fanatic is one who redoubles his effort when he has forgotten his aim."

But something in me has definitively changed. Any one that is a fanatic of football will calm in demeanor in the off-season. That is normal but what I am experiencing is not. It used to be top priority to know what games were being played on a given night. I arranged the rest of my life to accommodate the viewing of sporting events. The time spent in my man cave watching sports was extraordinary and inordinate. It wasn't that I was not conducting a busy lifestyle. This sports lifestyle just meant more to me but that has changed. 

I have missed games last year and never careened off the side of the road, grabbing my phone to feverishly check scores. I no longer stay up late at nights in a dark room, gazing into my laptop to do fantasy football research to get a leg up on my peers. Most of my conversation with friends and family do not revolve around sports. I actually endeavor to spend time with my family and enjoy my downtime. I take classes to better my professional life. I meet with friends at the local coffee shop to talk shop or just connect. I actually make it a discipline to spend time reading, studying, and meditating on my Bible. I'm learning how to feed my goals even during my "free" time. I am growing up in a tangible way.

Many of my friends that wouldn't dare call me on a Sunday afternoon now know that I am available for them. They can barely recognize me now. I can barely recognize myself. Why am I sharing all this you might ask?

It's simple, at least, to me. If we're ever to truly evolve and progress, we have to be open to death. What has been the norm or the standard has to be pruned away so that the new growth can bloom. A seed buried in the ground doesn't remain alive there. If it did, it would produce nothing of value. That seed must die so that the new growth can take place and the tree can become what it is meant to be. So here I am, dying to a part of myself that I have literally fed or have been fed for nearly 50 years. Today, I am openly admitting "that person" no longer resides here. I still love sports and that is not likely to change but the fanatical side of me is dead. And I am happy to bury him never to rise again.

2 BleSSed 2 B StRessED

So um....how many times have you heard that phrase?

You can find it anywhere from a bumper sticker to a T-shirt. Know what else you can find? The stress you're too blessed to have. What does this phrase even mean? I have some questions.

When Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers and left for dead? Was he stressed?

When that same Joseph ran out of the Potiphar's house while his boss' wife screamed rape, was Joseph stressed?

What about Moses after traipsing around the wilderness with a bunch of ingrates who wanted to do some things to him? Was Moses stressed?

What about Jesus as they pounded metal spikes into his wrists and feet and spat on him and struck him repeatedly? Was our Lord and Savior just a wee bit stressed?

I believe I am a blessed man but I question if I am impenetrable against stress. I was on the way to work one morning. I was having challenges with my allergy since the pollen count was so high but nothing too extreme. One of my eyes began to itch slightly but nothing too out of the ordinary. I went into work same as I always do as one of my peers screamed out "What's wrong with your eye?"

Then another peer came over and said the exact same thing but with much more animation. I raced into the bathroom and half of my left eye was totally blood red. I busted a blood vessel somehow. I didn't feel anything or sense that I was tight about any particular situation. The medical term is a "subconjunctival hemorrhage". It looks scary but it should disappear within two weeks or so. That's not the part I want to draw your attention to.

Stress. Out of all the things that could've cause my eye situation, this is the one thing everyone that saw me diagnosed as the cause.

Stress. How does it look? How does it feel? What does it taste like?

Most people don't think it's possible to be stressed and not know it. I think it's a common thought to have some stress-related symptoms but not associate them with stress. You could be sad or angry about a situation and not associate it with stress. You just may focus on the person that is getting on your nerves. But while you stand slighted, part of you is being diminished. When stress is on the scene, you lose something. Stress causes disease and disease always takes no prisoners. It destroys everything in its path. Disease is ruthless, merciless, and heartless. It does the only thing it knows how to do: Obliterate.

My blogs are always full of personal anecdotes, pearls of wisdom that I am blessed to receive so I share them, and often some painful realizations that I come to privately but I share them publicly for the betterment of someone else. This time is no different.

I truly thought that all of the challenges I was dealing were given to the Lord. (See I Peter 5:7) I was wrong. I put all my stuff in the Lord's storehouse but since I had a key, the temptation to open the door and retrieve some of that same stuff was greater than I originally thought. I picked it back up again. I don't know where and when it happened but I must have. How else would I be stressed? I didn't fully trust God. That's the real truth. I tried to use my intellect and insights to "figure it out" and it cost me something. Something I may not be able to get back.

What could happen if we truly trusted in the Creator of every thing and less on what we think and what we believe and what we want? What would happen if we permanently cast all of our cares off of our shoulders? What if we legitimately trusted in God for everything? How different would our lives be? Would we be able to truly detect how blessed we are? Could we more than adequately explain why we are blessed and it goes beyond a t-shirt, a catchphrase, or a church membership?

If you are blessed, what does that entail? How does that state dictate how you treat yourself? Or how you treat others? How does it affect the way you pray? Or what you ask for when you do pray? If you are blessed, does it make you nicer? Does it make you stronger? Does it make you fearful of returning to a "non-blessed" state? Will it cause you to take more faith steps than normal? Lots of folks know what it means to be stressed but (it seems) not as many understand what it means to be blessed.

Like I said. I have some questions.

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers." (Psalms 1:1-3 NIV)

ThrOugH yOUr EyEs

Margaret Wolfe Hungerford coined the phrase, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

William Shakespeare once said, "The eyes are the windows to the soul."

It's all in the eyes. What do you see when you look at me? What do you see when you look at you? What do you see when you look at others around you? What do you see when you look at the world?

I am not content with closing my eyes while I listen to the screams of nations crying out for aid.

I am not cool with closing my eyes while underprivileged families go four and half years without clean water.

I am not comfortable with labeling little children terrorists or refugees. At the end of the day, they are just children. At the end of the day, are we screw-ups simply because our parents were?

I am not thrilled about a systemic, structural, and social condition that allows the face of racism to morph into one less overt but still just as evil.

It's nearly impossible for me, in my old age, to buy that silence, particularly on important issues, does not equal consent, or at the very least, a weak endorsement.

I can't honestly say I am the greatest champion of world causes but if you pillage villages, forcibly unseat kings and emperors, rape their women and children, enslave their people, hunt endangered species into extinction, and steal every valuable natural resource you can find, you don't get to mock the condition of the said country. That's the truth, the *hole truth and nothing but the truth.

I am hopeful that my grandson's classmates have been allowed to play with "brown children" now at his elementary school. He's been pretty lonely at recess.

I am not willing to accept that charitable giving can still somehow make the rich richer and keeps the poor and less fortunate very much poor and less fortunate.

I can love watching old mysteries like "Perry Mason" and "Peter Gunn" and still clearly see what that era's view of beauty looks like. It's still a struggle to understand in 2018.

I am still incredulous that my favorite sport (which I try to quit but I can't let go) is still often run like a dictatorship at times. (I used 'dictatorship' for lack of a more suitable, more PC word.)

I don't believe we can be found blameless when we restrict or forbid ourselves from using our voice and our resources to help others. (Pick a social issue. They all probably apply.)

I live in a place where often southern hospitality is reserved for those who talk like, have similar back stories with, or have a physical resemblance with the ones being "hospitable". Your top ten lists are a sham!

I am not able to resign myself to see an impressionable African American boy with a "Coolest Monkey in the Jungle" T-shirt on as being cute or acceptable.

I am not okay with friends only offering "thoughts and prayers" when a helping hand is required and available. And that's from someone who firmly and adamantly believes "prayer changes things."

I am very guarded against "reacting to the headlines" but "ignoring the content". That is an ever present danger for all of us.

I am gravely concerned how easy it is for so many to callously attach themselves to a legitimate movement that is decades overdue. If one's not careful, we could forget what this is supposed to be about.

Is there a proposed date on the calendar when we will start thinking generationally and not just about the fleeting moment we're in? Just asking for a friend...

So what does your world look like? Do you see hope? Can you see humanity beneath a hue or a tint? How do things look through your eyes? Sometimes even the simplest of things can become pretty blurry.

Thank you so much for reading, sharing, and subscribing to "Mirror Time With Mistayu". Hope this was worth your time.

KinGS aNd KinGdOMs

Honestly..
Sincerely..
I am in a quandary.

I don't think the world is ready. But then I believe the world is anxiously waiting.

What is the impact on a house and all its inhabitants when the foundation is undone without ample time to prepare? What does the fallout look like? What does the plan for recovery look like? Is there actually avoidable recovery that can be made?

Read your bibles and you have access to the blueprint of kings and kingdoms. Empires and nations. Rising and falling. It's almost as old as time itself. Like Solomon scribed, "There's nothing new under the sun!"

If one doesn't want a family secret to be told or seen by future generations, they have multiple options. They can burn the books that tell the story. Our they can burn the storyteller so they can't tell the story. They can tear down every symbol that represents that truth and build something else in its place. They can use trickery and deceit to cut off the strength of their enemy and pluck out his eyes. They can feed an emperor a royal feast of meat and wine and when he is merry, fall upon him with a sword. They can procure a nation through back door politics, bribes, and conspiracy. Dressing up a King in the garments of a slave and taking his crown doesn't make him less of a King. Ask the Romans about that. That comes from a place far deeper than royal garments, a crown, and a scepter could ever truly provide.

I know you can hear but are you able to listen. I won't demand that you spend your ten dollars or dictate how you spend it but I do have a suggestion. Do what, in the minds of many, is unthinkable. Momentarily put aside what you think you know and understand about Black culture and African Americans in general. I know it's difficult to blot out the images you've been given your whole life but just this once, walk through those double doors without reading reviews or asking your friends what they think. Take your friends and your family out for movie night and go see Marvel's Black Panther.

Why? Hear me and hear me well. This could be a moment that changes everything. Maybe not the world you currently find yourself living in but it could enhance your vision. That's the key to changing everything. Who would've thought that enlightenment could come through a comic book movie? You're going to be pleasantly surprised and amazed. It's so much more than that. It's a door into a world many never wanted you to see. I'm awestruck that even in 2018, you're even being given the opportunity. This is once in a lifetime stuff! This is eye opening, mind changing stuff!

Black Panther. Not the connotation from the Civil rights movement or anything that has been painted as negative, divisive, and anti-American. What you may be witnessing predates all that and speaks to something much more profound. This is the one movie that got the whole world shook. Communities...shook. Ideologies...shook. Your sense of normal...shook. This might be THAT moment where you find out who your true friends are and I mean that with all seriousness! Your circle of friends may dramatically change and you may find this movie will either enhance or mess up your life. This movie possesses that kind of impact. It's the truth shovel for centuries worth of buried lies. Can't cut the nose off of this one. Can't burn the pages and pretend it doesn't exist. The bell has been rung and it can't be undone. People treat you the way they see you and often because of how you see you. What if everything you've been taught left out some very important details? What would change about your right now if you possessed that knowledge? How do you proceed if you found out your whole life was founded upon a lie? Your name. Your family. Your heritage. Your affinity for a specific vocation and subsequent career goals. Everything you thought you knew was all wrong. This movie, if you can hear the distinctive sound it is guaranteed to make, could be game changing to say the least. 

This movie is the one even non comic book lovers and non Marvel Universe fans MUST see. It bears an clear and emphatic message history books have conveniently omitted. If truth (even draped in a fictional piece of cinematic ambiance) matters to you, you may find this refreshing and unsettling at the same time. I can sit here and tell you about how this isn't about pimps, hoes, slaves, black on black crime, and uprisings against "the man". I can opine about how this will give insights into a world untouched by a need for that uprising in the first place. I can give you bullet points like Strength. Vitality. Civilized. Ingenious. Innovative. Dominant. Kingdom. I can go all day on this but I won't. History has proven that a mind that refuses to be changed is a powerful monster. It will lie, cheat, steal, and destroy to maintain what it has and even gain more. It is an immovable object. If it can't be changed then it has to be broken. Consider breaking pattern for one day. Go see it with people whose opinions you value. Go see it with those who have never been to a movie like this and never wanted to. Pay for their ticket. Go see it with the entire family. Go see it with the naysayers of comic book movies. If you have no other choice, go see it alone. Just go witness it for yourself.

I won't ask you to share this or like this or agree with any of this. I know it's scary. It's big and imposing. It makes some uncomfortable. I honestly understand and I don't blame you. But I believe it's time for this story to be told by this storyteller for the collective ear to hear.

ChaNGe iS gOOd......EveNtuALLy!

How many times have you heard those three words? They're probably voiced by someone who isn't currently enduring a fresh hell like you are. Even millennials say "I don't like change." I wonder what those that have successfully endured the trials of life think about this cliche. Will they attest to the idea that change is good? Hmm, I wonder.

As I type these words on my keyboard, I am going through a change that has completely rocked my entire world. It's hard for me to look at you and tell you that it's good. It doesn't feel good. It doesn't help me produce good thoughts. And it doesn't sound, smell, or taste good. And still, in some weird dichotomous mix, it could actually be good for me. And thus, the struggle comes in. The struggle is indeed real. I am enduring a trial.

Almost everything inside of me screams "Quit", "Give up", and "Run, Forrest, Run!" The isolation is unbearable. The loneliness is unthinkable. The people that are closest to you, in some attempt to give you space, or just to avoid catching what you have, tend to leave you to your own thoughts and devices. They leave you alone. One thing I learned from the last 21 years is that being in isolation makes you an easy target for your enemies. 

If you ever watched an episode of "Wild Kingdom", the lion, who is dubbed the King of the jungle, is arguably the jungle's apex predator. He's fast, cunning, determined, and rarely backs down from a fight. What he wants, he normally gets. The lion will maul his way through difficult challenges to achieve his primary goal: his next meal. Even this terrorizing and imposing wildlife figure understands timing and opportunity. He will lie in wait in a nearby bush and will watch an entire herd of buffalo moving through the plain. And true to form, there will always be a smaller or weaker buffalo languishing behind the rest of the herd or perhaps hobbled in some way that makes them appear vulnerable. The King of the Jungle leans forward, sets himself, and pounces on his unsuspecting prey. The same pattern. The same result. Every single time.

Your adversaries don't work any different. Your being in isolation just makes the kill that much easier.

I asked the question in one of my previous pieces "Going Through Something" how do you go through something standing still and never changing or evolving or growing? Repeating the same useless patterns and expecting all the other factors to change but we don't is ridiculous and unrealistic. But we do that, don't we? It's near miraculous to get in a torrential downpour and not get a little wet. In everything we go through in life, we are affected. The questions are how much and if we grow while in the process.  

What do you do when everything in your world is going topsy-turvy? What do you reach for? How do you implement an adjustment? From my own limited experience, God is the only source that does not change based on circumstance.

Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." 

Short passage but so profound. In the midst of life's storms, it's wise to hold onto a stable source that does not change or is not influenced by people's opinions and can't be bought off for power and status.

Are you GOING THROUGH or have you stopped to take lay down and never got back up?

I feel like I've been through a series of consecutive gut-punches but I can't stay where I am. The changes you go through are designed to make you strong, not to destroy you.

"Because he knows the road on which I travel, when he had tested me, I'll come out like gold." (Job 23:10 ISV)

Fire burns but it also refines.

• Even if they lie about you....
• Even if they discuss you in unfavorable light and mock you among their friends....
• Even if they make it their life's work to destroy you....
• Even if they leave landmines where they know you have to daily walk....
• Even if it seems like you're all alone and no one cares about your pain....
• Even if you just don't feel like you can take anymore and you want to give up....

"...all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28 NKJV in part)

ConVICteD

Good morning, family and friends.

Got a question for you before you start downing your cup of coffee and before your work day becomes the chaotic mess we all have come to love and expect.

What would it take to make you give up on your convictions?

Conviction, according to Dictionary.com, is defined as "A fixed or firm belief, the state of being convinced."

The English major can't help but notice that the word "convict" is neatly placed in the word conviction. Whether it be in the legal sense and in a court of law or public opinion or in personal application, it's all about being convinced. What would make you change your mind? What would make you move from your position?

I had a friend of mines that I knew for several years. We weren't best friends but we worked closely together and spent probably every break together. My friend had a couple pet peeves but was a HUGE advocate against smoking. Not many days went by when I didn't hear a rant about the subject. My friend thought it one of the most disgusting and loathsome habits a person could have. They would readily and routinely avoid anyone who dared have such a habit. My friend met someone and fell in love with them almost instantly. The person my friend met, dated, and fell in love with, was and is an avid smoker. They'll soon be married. Hmm. You see that, right?

I thought this particularly profound for those who hold any moral standard, religious or political belief, or that consider themselves "good" people in a "bad" world. In today's climate, it behooved me to step back and look at the drama and ALL the proponents of it. Even what part we play in it all. It takes a combination of actors, electricians, stage hands, producers, sound techs, directors, writers, and set designers to make a stage production.

In the political world, we are witnessing epic battles where people refuse to budge or let up from their convictions initially but decide based on the right impetus. Religious leaders are lashing out at each other and refusing to be inclusive of others based on a denominational standard. Businesses and corporations have a code of conduct but it's often circumvented depending on certain factors like managerial discretion and fear of turnover or bad morale. Different strokes for different folks the way I see it.

At any time, we could all be victim to our own desires and our circumstances but what will make you move out of position? Change is coming whether we like it or not. The question is will we change with it or will we remain "convicted" on the important issues.

Imagine (if it doesn't totally freak you out) being in the middle of a hurricane that you didn't expect. You are in the middle of a street and this torrent comes down upon you. What is your first instinct? Do you run for cover? Do you just lay down on the ground and wait it out? Or do you reach for something stable that will not move?

I want something stable to hold onto. I don't want to "go with the flow" in this case, because you will be blown away with the "flow". I want to be grounded. I don't want to be like this....

"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. A person who has doubts shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord. A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can’t make up his mind about anything." (James 1:6-8 GWT)

Or this....

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (Ephesians 4:14 KJV)

Think really long and hard about what will make you shift your position. Re-evaluate the position and your place within it. Ensure that is it something you want to do and not something others obligate you to do. Popular opinion may beckon you to join their club or group but at the end of the day, you must live with your decision. Determine beforehand if the stance you choose is worth the price you may be asked to pay because there is indeed a cost.

"For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36 NIV)

Thanks for reading Mirror Time. Have a great day!

TakE uP YouR CroSS aNd FoLLoW hIM

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

Matthew 16:24-26 speaks to this better than I can ever hope to in all my eloquence and prose. My whole life was speckled with people who openly professed how much they loved Jesus Christ and how faithfully they served the Lord. They were not just in the churches I attended. They were administrators in my private school. They were teachers and cafeteria workers in my public school. They were the neighbor down the street that frowned upon my horseplay and our friends being loud in front of their brownstone. They were the cashier at my local supermarket. They were everywhere it seems. They said all the right things in front of company. Actually they still do. Their public persona is nearly spotless and not a wrinkle is detected by the untrained eye. But when the only one that is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient looks at his creation in that person, what does He see? Does he sees spots? Does he detect wrinkles? Does he sees something that the outside person cannot?

We're in the midst of a process in our ministry where discipleship is being emphasized in a big way. That should be the normal in today's church but it is sadly at a premium and not at all common nowadays. People don't really want to know what Jesus would do. They just want all the benefits that go with being associated with him but not make the necessary sacrifices. Romans 12:1-2 does an excellent job of speaking to this as Paul asks his brothers and friends, "I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

1. Be a living sacrifice. That terminology might be lost on some of us especially since the word "sacrifice" has been cast in a negative light in cinematic and literary circles. It is defined as "an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to God or to a divine or supernatural figure."

That doesn't sound good and I understand that but in the terms and context the scriptural passage is detailing, it is meant "an official offering prescribed by God that is acceptable because it is offered on His terms."

That implies there are many kinds of sacrifices that are offered to God but not all of them are acceptable? Why? Because they are not given on His terms or they don't meet His specific standards. The sacrifice must be living and it must be holy, or without spot or blemish -- it must be our best and it must be for lack of a better word, sacrificial. Essentially, it needs to cost us something. If a man has a thousand dollars and he gives a homeless man a penny, it didn't truly cost him. If a man has a million dollars and he donates five, it didn't truly cost him. If a man gives away his only automobile to someone who has none, he has given something that costs him. If a woman pawns her most precious and valuable piece of jewelry in order to help a friend with a heavy medical cost, she has given something that costs her greatly.

We have to daily and willingly lay ourselves on the altar and allow the Lord to do His work, no matter how painful, uncomfortable, and inconvenient. The dead sacrifices don't get a choice. The live ones give glory to God because they have decided to choose God. That's how you worship God.


2. Take up your cross. This is not a pleasant visual for anyone that understood the Roman tradition of crucifixion in earlier Biblical times. The understanding was that if someone was taking their cross, they were taking it to their eventual death. It was, in effect, a one way trip. They would not return. What does it sound like Jesus is asking us to do? It could appear He is asking us to pick up our proverbial crosses and die with Him. Maybe some of you are hearing that we should follow His example in every facet of our lives. Perhaps a few of you are understanding this to mean that we should be executing that aspect of our selves that is carnal, fleshly, and in stark opposition to God. Maybe you have gathered that all three are appropriate determinations to come to.

I am going through one of the fiercest trials I have ever been through. That is a clear indicator for me that there is something even greater at the end of it but I still have to go through. I can't go around. I can't circumvent or slide under. I have to go through and I fully intend to. For me, in the light of all that God has done in my life and the mercy he has shown this crazy Brooklyn kid, standing and following His example is the least I can do. I hope today you will do the same.

Thanks for reading Mirror Time and for subscribing with us. We appreciate you.

LaboR iN vAIn

Sure, the New Year is the preferred time to evaluate your life. This blog isn't called "Mirror Time" because I enjoy gazing at myself in the mirror. It's because, in my humble view, those kind of evaluations are few and far between.

Like I said previously, last year and perhaps even this year, "we misjudged people. We put our own wants above those that we say we loved. We were selfish. We were vindictive. We pointed fingers. We joined figurative lynch mobs and condemned people on social media. We made decisions without regard for its impact on others. We showed contempt and disrespect for authority. We lied to others and we lied to ourselves. We have compromised our beliefs and our faith." 

The level of profanity and hypocrisy that comes out of our mouths or is typed into the comment section of an inflammatory or polarizing news piece is epic and I can only wonder what how much we are trolling people or do we really buy into the vitriol that we spew out.

But everyone is not focusing on being the next big troll. Many people are hard working, morally conscious, humane, and wise enough to know that finger pointing only delays the inevitable need for accountability and personal responsibility. I am sure you imagined what the world would look like if these two nuggets were trending. Hmm. 

So I speak today to those of you that want more out of this life than you are currently seeing. I don't mean a better car or a better house or anything like that. I am referring to wanting to fully exercise the fullness of the purpose inside of you. I am talking about living this life out loud and squeezing out every ounce of potential, purpose, and vision that is in you. When the time comes, you leave this world behind with no regrets, knowing that you gave all of you and did your best. Hmmph. Maybe nobody else thinks like that but you. Perhaps you are in a vast minority that think generationally and not just in the present moment. Could be that words like legacy and inheritance are not important to your circle of friends.

If that is you, I wanted to give you one thought to ponder. 

Ingenuity. Guts. Heart. Grind. Determination. Work. Genius. Innovation. Consistency. All words that symbolize the standard for the hard working person. They, however, are not guarantees for the kind of success that matters. 

In this life, there is a lesson that has prevailed. I'm not saying it is widely known or adhered to. I am just saying the lesson is still being taught daily. If you don't build a house with a strong foundation, adding it to only helps to hasten a momentous fall. It's not theory. It's going to happen. 

I bought a new home for my wife that was built hastily to say the least. There were many shortcuts taken but the house survived three storms during our time living there and structurally it proved itself to be sound. That limited some of the stress that we were dealing with but it was a great reminder. The winds and waves and storms came crashing down on the house but it stood. Because it had a strong foundation. I used practical examples to make an analogy here so even if you don't know about building a foundation naturally, hopefully, you'll get the point theoretically. 

What kind of foundation are you building? (home, career, work, church)

Did you pick a location that had good "soil conditions"? (If there are any foreign elements in your soil that conflict with what you are trying to develop)

Did you survey the land to make sure there was enough room for what you intended to build there? (Taking care to evaluate your whole life, your time, and counting the cost before you start any building process)

Did you have deep enough trenches before pouring the concrete? (If you have enough of a relationship with your Heavenly Father that will stand the test of time as you build your faith)

Did you allow the concrete adequate time to dry before you begin to add to or build upon it? (Were you open to waiting and trusting God or did you hurry forward in haste to achieve your own goal and not the best plan of action?)

Did you properly seal the walls so no moisture can get in? (Did you provide adequate protection so that dangerous elements can't penetrate your building and erode it?)

Were the "builders" that you allowed into your life qualified and professional and were careful with all the details? (The people that you trust to join you and help you achieve your goals)

You don't have to know how to build a house to understand that you probably don't want to work hard for years and have nothing to show for it. Who walks around with a bag full of money knowing that there are holes in the bag? No one ever. If there is no other takeaway in this, please remember that you can work hard for years and do all you think is best, but without the guidance of the "master builder", our work won't be of true value. I was in the same place until I decided to trust the Lord with the whole process. This blog site is full of articles that highlight just how that looked if you're interested in reading them. 

Work smart, not hard. Who better to trust with the framework of your life than the one who fashioned you and molded you in the first place? Just a little something to think about.

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. (Psalms 127:1 ESV)

HappY NeW yOU

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thank you very much for your support of Mirror Time with Mista Yu and we really appreciate your subscribing with us. That means you don't mind opening up your emails and seeing a new blog piece from us. That speaks volumes and I wanted to say thank you. Please keep sharing us with your friends and family. THANK YOU for being a big reason why Mirror Time is growing and reaching into the lives and hearts of more people than ever before.

Only a few days into the brand new year, we had ourselves an unprecedented winter storm event. Unprecedented because it rarely ever happens in the Holy City but it certainly did and in a big way. More than 7 inches of snow, ice, hail, sleet, and more than 1,000 accidents on the roads and highways locally. In a place like Charleston, because this kind of event is...well, an event and not the normal for January, it rocks the city to its foundations and causes a ripple effect of change that shakes up everything. Where I'm from, you just put some rock salt down and you keep going, you keep working but here it's different. 

Most people revel in the fact that they don't have to go to work and still get paid for it. Many are just glad they don't have to go to school that day. Some would just like to catch up on sleep. This massive amount of snow brought the entire city to a grinding halt. We were not prepared for it and we didn't have the know-how to handle it. We are just in the midst of an epic event. For me, this event brought my life to a grinding halt too. Just in a different way.

These kind of "events" don't announce themselves. They don't come with much warning. They just happen. As much havoc and chaos as this storm has caused this city and the lives that were affected by this tragedy, this storm made me totally stop and reflect. I couldn't drive anywhere. I didn't make many phone calls. I didn't scour social media much. No distractions from work or business. Just me and my thoughts. For some throughout the U.S., this is normal and happens every winter like clockwork but for some, this was life-changing.

Going into the new year is often met with resolutions and big, bold proclamations. How many people really took the time to evaluate where they are in this life and where they really want to be? These "events" happen in life periodically but most times they are misread. We don't look at what we should be looking at. We just look at the external factors that seem to speak louder. But, in that, we tend to miss the little things. We need to look in the mirror!

How do you want to start this year? The way you start it is likely to be a factor in how it ends. Last year, we probably made huge mistakes. We misjudged people. We put our own wants above those that we say we loved. We were selfish. We were vindictive. We pointed fingers. We joined figurative lynch mobs and condemned people on social media. We made decisions without regard for its impact on others. We showed contempt and disrespect for authority. We lied to others and we lied to ourselves. We have compromised our beliefs and our faith. But here we are. Going into a brand new year. Hoping for a restart in 2018. Or just hoping to forget 2017.


Allow me to encourage you. Going into the new year ignoring what is the "elephant in the room" of your life is only going to make this year an extension of the one you want to leave behind so desperately. Face that mammoth beast. Look into the eyes of that elephant. Resist the temptation to make the same mistakes and react the same way. Take that step towards better. These life "events" have a peculiar ability of exposing what's wrong or deficient in our lives. These events have a way of revealing us. Now the question is do we want to see what is revealed.

You never know when you'll face another "event" in life. Take advantage of the opportunity to reflect.   Who knows? It could change everything. Eventually, the snow or ice will melt and the seasons will change but the consequences of our decisions are much harder to get rid of. Choose well. Live better. Have a prosperous and blessed New Year.