She names them; Alcohol… Death… But then interestingly enough she points to her self and calls out “Sex”. Then she says “but my favorite monster.. my favorite monster of all.. does anyone know what his name is?”…WhaAaAT!?! That was a red flag to me! Who’s her favorite monster!? She walks away and says “Alejandro”.. I could be wrong. Maybe Alejandro was the monster.. maybe he was the lighting guy. Whatever the case, we don’t need to listen to this woman as believers. I believe there are spirits at work in her and her music. This isn’t a cause for fear though. We who are redeemed have God in us and he’s greater than he that’s in the world and his workers. We can over come all the works of the devil, whether it’s alcohol, death, lust… even Alejandro.  Check the video out.

My mother is a GREAT cook! Ask me this at anytime, even after the biggest fight with her, and I’ll tell you the same thing. She can cook any dish she sets her mind on and I honestly believe her food is anointed! Lol I know it sounds crazy but it’s true. And I know it sounds crazy that this is my second food oriented post of the three since I started this fast, but follow me…

She’s a good cook. And she can bake too! Her homemade bread is to die for, her bake will make u shake, and her black cake will make you wanna smack your… well, let’s just say it’s really good. But one defiant delicacy seems to defeat her every time! One problematic pastry keeps her powerless; Pound cake!

Some may say its easier than most others cakes. Others may say its an art. Whatever the case is, it and my Mother don’t get along. However, being the persistent fighter she is, just last Tuesday my mother tried to make a pound cake. She also made three black cakes and a fruitcake. The black cakes baked perfectly. And on the next oven shelf, the pound cake and fruit cake seemed to be rising nicely. But like a rotten apple that spoils the bunch, or the bad kid that spreads his or her rebellion, it seemed the pound cake had convinced the fruit cake to give in. And they had.

And as my mother walked in, the cakes on her mind, her eyes immediately caught the sinking tops of each cake. The cry of disappointment she released almost scared me. I thought something major had happened. To her something major had happened. The yeast in each of the cakes had caused them to rise too much and then sink.

The book of Matthew gives two accounts where Christ took a little food and fed the multitude that had followed him to hear his teachings. Afterwards He and the disciples got in the boat to Caesarea Philippi and the disciples told him that they forgot the bread. In Matthew 16:6 Jesus replied to them “Be careful. Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Saducees” or as the Mark 8:15 version says “..the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod”. What does that even mean. The disciples didn’t even know, but they assumed he was talking about the forgotten bread. In both accounts, Christ gave them all a good lecture on spiritual smarts. Wasn’t this the same man who just fed Nine THOUSAND people with 12 loaves and bread and had 19 baskets of leftovers?!

The Pharisees were constant Christ and Christian harassers. They constantly tried to think up ways to show sin in him, because that was what they did. The found fault in everyone else and took pride in their self-righteousness through works. This pride puffed them up and caused them to miss the true reason for the laws and the freedom from the law of sin and death! Hallelu Yahweh! He was that freedom. But instead of surrendering, they scrutinized him. And even still they found no fault. Their pride in the works they did and their form of Godliness ultimately caused them to fall, just like the yeast in my mom’s pound cake. He who has ears let him hear… S/He who has eyes, let him/her read. Don’t be deceived. Salvation isn’t because of what you do or don’t do. Its strictly because Christ died for us. Be on the look out! Don’t let that Pharisee yeast steal your freedom!

Its so funny. I’m on day 3 of the deeper life fast and I’m reading my word and praying for a word. I’m expecting the word to come through the bible or a still small voice in the wind or an angel on a cloud with some stone tablets. It came through an 12oz. bottle of Whelch’s Grape juice.

As delicious as the drink is, it didn’t induce a vision or send me into rapture. It made me feel guilty. I felt an unease at the thought of quenching my thirst with the unadulterated Blood of Christ. Because isn’t that what grape juice is? It may seem so, because every first sunday we eat the crackers as flesh and drink grape juice to signify the blood of Christ during communion. And even though it’s a symbol of rememberance, how many of us have felt that guilt when we drink welch’s outside of church? Christ didn’t institute communion as a from of culinary bondage!

This is an example of one of the ways we as Christians try to do the job of the Holy Spirit. John 16:8 says “When [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement…”. That is HIS job among other things. So the Holy Ghost enters the lives of those who trust and believe in Christ! Hallelujah! Thank God for that. He doesn’t come just so that you can speak in tounges or run around your church, although that may be part of your relationship w/ him. He really cames to renew the connection between man and God. Here’s a neat little equation for all the visual learners/math geeks:

God+Man = Eden
Eden = Happy
God+Man = Happy

Man+Sin = Man-God
Man-God = Unhappy

Christ > Sin
Man+Christ = Man-Sin
(Christ=Holy Spirit=God)
Man+Christ = Man+Holy Spirit = Man+God = Happy!

And if that just confused you remember, the Spirit of God is here to bring us back to God, which is why he alerts us when something we are doing offends our Father. Don’t allow anyone to play Holy Ghost and convict you when they aren’t sinless. And don’t allow yourself to ignore a helpful voice of warning from a brother or sister or the conviction of the Holy Ghost himself. He will lead you into all truth, keeping you safe from false conviction. So go and eat Premium, Ritz and all manner of cracker in shameless peace. Drink Grape juice guiltlessly. Go and Sin no more.

So you know how the story goes. I’m that blogger that’s like an old friend. You never see me but when I reappear, there’s much to be discussed. Lol

Since we last spoke, God has really done a lot in my life. However, the Catch up blog’ll be later. Main things that may come up; I am absolutely in LOVE with my new girlfriend, Nancy. I started driving and am loving the freedom and loathing the vehicle that my sister let me use. I support my spiritual brother, JayR Samuels, and his non-for-profit/Ministry group, Hungry4God aka H4G!

So anyway, Every year in January I fast for the coming year and it always gets results. This year the fast has begun and already there is war.

I stayed up until 6 (when the fast started) and then went to sleep. I woke up to dismay in the house. Problems that affect everyone being dropped on my mother, letters sent to me informing me of overdrafts and school loan bills, the blight of a car that my sister placed in my life needing repair.

All these things are natural occurances being turned into attacks on our peace and this is a war. I’m not wrestling with flesh and blood, but there are forces that oppose the Children of God. As a child of God, I’m gonna fight with every ounce of power God gave me.

[Luke 10:19 I (Christ) have given you (Christians) authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to OVERCOME ALL the powers of the enemy; nothing will harm you]

I already know how the battle ends, but I still need to fight. Maybe through this blog, you all can see Christ work and watch the unfolding of this war. In this fast from Twitter and Facebook, and reduced TV watching, I’m faithfully expecting God to be a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6)
Seek him diligently with faith and see what he will do to reward you

I like this song… a lot.

I shoulda wrote it.

Maybe I’ll get it right, next time lol

This time – John Legend

What if I read my “How to pick a chick!” blog a couple times? That’s not obsessive! Ok, maybe it is. I only read it twice. The bible says for lack of vision the people died! I was just tryna have 20/10 vision…

Anyways, I read it and my head got to working and I got to thinking:

What if I meet her. :panic settles in:: What if one day I’m on the train, or in church, or at school, or walking on the street, or talking to a mutual friend and somehow we begin to speak, me and Ms. Right? What would I say? How would I act? Would i be ready?

Let’s say I’m at school and I meet this banging chick. Pretty eyes, Pretty hair, pretty rump, pretty smart… etc, etc. She’s Ms. Independant, Melody Independant. Melody is a singer, she plays piano a little bit. She has a job, drives, comes from a little latin island and likes long walks on the beach. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted….

OR ::rewinds::

Let’s say I’m at church. I look around and realize that Melody has been going to my church all along. Right beneath my nose, my future wife has been patiently waiting for her future husband.

What makes me think I’m the first round draft pick? Maybe this is how God plans to keep me humble. I don’t think I’ve ever had a problem finding girlfriend. As a matter of fact, right now I am fighting them off lol Maybe this revalation is God’s way of keeping me from becoming one of thse jerks that assumes he can have every girl.

So basically, I gotta step my game up. Job, car, all that.. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Those of you who know me can appreciate the irony of this blog title. Those of you who know me know that I don’t really get angry at people so much as at situations and injustices. Those of you who know me and my little brother know a few things: we are silly, we get along great, we’re about the same height, I get IRATE WHEN HE WEARS MY CLOTHES!! I’m not asking for a lot. Just don’t wear my clothes. Preppy musician wear doesn’t really fit drummers anyway.

Today, I walked into my house after a long day of solfege, tritone subs, and rhythmic dictations. My feet were also killing me. I walk in, take out the garbage, joke with my mom and head toward my room to test out this new wall adapter I’d just bought. As I walk toward my room, my brother heads out of his. We exchange a silly glance… but in his glance is something more, something guilty. I immediately go into observation mode. The white polo he’s wearing catches an eye.. my eye. MY POLO! I had spent approximately 10 minutes searching the newly washed white clothes for that shirt to no avail! To see him wearing it brought me back to the frustration of being off schedule and in my undies, fighting to plan another outfit.

now time out: I guess it would help you to know that this kid does this ALL THE TIME. On several occasions I came home to find him in my shirt or jeans. A few times recently I caught him trying to leave the house in my clothes, and two of those times he stole the clothes from my top bunk (which is where I keep the outfit I’m wearing before I put it on)! After the first 3 times I told him I’d punch him. After the 5th time I actually started punching him. He knew the deal. Back to your irregularly scheduled blog.

So i say to him, “I bet you that’s my shirt”. Had his response been “What are you talking about”, “That’s how much you know,” or some kind of semi-confident quip, I would’ve believed him. Instead he tried to pretend he was going into my parents room. Mind you, no one was in there. And the lights are off. And IT’S MY PARENTS ROOM. So check the tag and punch him in the chest. I punched him lightly but any kind of chest hit will sound loud because of the hollow acoustics. That’s why we hear our heartbeats and bang on our chests to seem tough. So after I get my shirt, and yell at him my mom is like:

“Don’t hit him”

and I go “Well, i told him not to wear my clothes”

“Well, tell him don’t hit him”

“.. i ‘told him’ like 12 times already.”

“Well then tell us.”

“You’ve heard me tell him!”

Now in HS i had serious issues with the favoritism and fact that it’s SO obvious, but I’m a grown man now; I’m over that. But recently it’s just been getting out of hand. And then my Dad chimes in with some good old pseudo-wisdom:

“You know, it’s a weak person who has to resort to violence to get his way.”

?! What? A weak person wouldn’t resort to violence, or anything for that matter, because they’re weak. They wouldn’t confront it at all. If they HAD to address the issue, it wouldn’t be confrontational. They’d connive, con, sneak or manipulate. My response:

“No, it’s a nice person who has leniency and forgiveness when what he wants is disregarded”

Not badly worded, but in hindsight I wish I wouldn’t have made it so local. I could’ve addressed an issue that faces our whole generation by saying

“No. it’s a weak person who won’t take action in a situation where it is clearly necessary.”

DANG! I need a time machine!

..Maybe heroes will cheer me up

But then again, its not that serious. Lol I get calls. But they tend to go:
“Hey, they need you to..”
“Yo man, can you..”

“Hey, are we…”
“Yeah, I’m outside.”

Why can’t I get a:
“Hey man, wanna chill…”
“HOLLA!! ::laugh:: Was’ shakinl?”
“::fake asian voice:: Red jagon chinee foo’!”

You won’t believe my received call log at one time. It was friday night. I had two calls on Wednesday, one on Thursday and two that day. The first from that day was at 12am so it was practically Thursday night. Both Wednesday calls were from my MOM!
Can I get some life? Can I get some spunk? Can I get a phone call??

“Whew! so much to blog. Where do I start. First off I got a LAPTOP!!

HP Pavilion dv6830us

Brand new from Staples. I’m infatuated. I spend every moment that I’m not on the road on this thing. I’m on it now. “Why?” you might ask.

I’m on vacation right now. We’re in PA. It’s my dad, mom, younger brother, two older sisters and niece and nephew. We decided we would come to PA for Hershey park and a few other surrounding  attractions. Our first night was a blog in and of itself. I’ll try to fit them together.

We got here at about 11:30. We were tired. We had just sit through traffic. Yes, traffic at 11:30 at night. But this wasn’t your run of the mill, these people cant drive, rubbernecking delays. Oh no. This was extraordinary, full stop for 30 mins, move 7 feet and another half hour stop kinda traffic. It was cool though, because like Tye Tribbet says “I made it through!”.

So now we are at the hotel. We booked our rooms about three weeks in advance through Hotels.com. DONT EVER USE HOTELS.COM!!! They charged us for a non-smoking and gave us smoking rooms”

I started this blog on vacation. Unfortunately, I didnt have time to complete it so now you’ll get the shorter, more tainted version…

but thats later… if ever..