Walk...It's That Simple

This morning was very powerful for me. I have recently came in contact with an old childhood friend. We re-established contact after more than a decade a few years ago and lost contact again. This morning I was thinking about her and reached back out to her. Here is a portion of her email to me:

"...my family has grown with the addition of our identical twin boys. I had a very difficult pregnancy with multiple health issues and needed 3months of bedrest. Thank god our boys were born healthy. I had complications though and although our boys will be a yr on the 15th, i am still not myself. I do apologize for not keeping in touch, but things were and r still difficult..."

After reading the email, I got angry. Not at her, of course, but at the devil. I find it so interesting that people believe that the devil is real, but they don't realize that they empower him to do what he does in their life. However, that sentiment isn't what I'm focused on.

I prayed for her and I responded and I said, "Even as I write this email, I want you to know that your healing is around the corner. All you have to do is believe it." When I finished the email, I went to John 5:5-10 and read the account of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. Jesus asked him straight out if he wanted to be made whole. Instead, the man complains to Jesus that there isn't anyone to put him in the pool and that people are stepping over him. Jesus simply tells him to get up and walk (my rendition...read the account).

The man was SO use to his condition that he didn't see past it, nor addressed seeing past it. How many times have we looked at our situation and spoke more about the situation more than the solution or what we want to see happen for the situation to change? I know I'm guilty of it.

Jesus wanted this man to see past his situation because he knew the man didn't want to be there. Who wants to be stepped on, overlooked, and looked at as a sad, pitiful case? Let's take it a step further: Who wants to look like and feel like that on inside while outside you busy faking the funk?

You must BELIEVE that you can walk. It's that simple. You must BELIEVE that you can walk out of that situation you're in. You must BELIEVE that you're bigger than what they say you are. You must BELIEVE that you don't have to accept the abuse any longer because you're better than that. You must BELIEVE that being sick, afflicted, hurt, in poor health IS NOT His Best for you!

I know what abuse is like. I've been abused emotionally and mentally and all of it out of choice. No one held a gun to my head. However, I made a decision to "walk" - to believe that I'm bigger than the situation and that there is more for me.

If you're reading this blog, I want you to know that you don't have to deal with that. It is high time that you and I stop accepting things and made a decision...

...a decision to walk...it's that simple...


Unconditionally,


Andre

Categories: belief , encourage , health , motivation , walk

Ode to a King

Yanno, there are very few times that I actually write a blog about someone.

In fact, I would ONLY write a blog about someone who I really believed stood for the things that I do - integrity, honesty, humility, and truth.

Enter Rey King...

I have never met Rey physically. I "know" him through my partner, Jblaze, as well as the various hit records (yep, I said it. HIT RECORDS!) that J spins on FNFLive on Miami's #1 Gospel station, La Nueva 88.3FM (*shameless plug*). It was on our way to Tampa for FlavorFest last year that I actually listened to his album Young God. Now if you never heard it, you should.  The album was full of songs that were both innovative lyrically and musically. To me, the album musically and lyrically was one of the best I've heard in a minute.

His braggadocious lyrics on the goodness of God in his life was refreshing to me. It was great to hear someone FINALLY acknowledge and realize that they are victorious in Christ and that their life SHOULD AND WOULD reflect that. 

I had the privilege of watching a LiveStream with him and Rhema Soul in the studio one afternoon.  They invited thousands a people via Twitter and Facebook to join in. They did something I had NEVER seen via social media in all of my years of involvement in Christian music: They spoke about The Word. No music, just The Word.  I saw and heard first hand that Rey truly has a love for TheWord and not just the music.  Again, I was truly moved.

Recently, I came across a posting on his Facebook page of folks "correcting" him on him "likening" himself to God and I was really taken aback.  It's sad that so many of us don't want to do the work of reading the very Word that we speak (or don't speak of...that's a topic for another time). There are so many scriptures that talks about and affirms that as Christians, we are in the God class (1 John 4:4, Genesis 1:27, Colossians 3:10). It doesn't say WE ARE GOD, but we are like He who has created us.

So Rey, Kingdom salute to you, brother and all those artists who do know who they are and are not afraid to state it boldly.  I ask those of us that don't know, search the scriptures to find out who you really are in Him and let's not bash someone else because they know their rights and privileges as a child of God. 

Unconditionally,

Andre

Categories: Christian , encourage , music

Put It Down

So, I'm in the gym at 6am today (yeah, a brother is going in with it fa real nowadays), and there is something that I've been thinking about for a few days already since I've been coming.  It had to deal with weights.

I realize that no one in the gym PLACES weights on me.  I make the conscious decision to PICK THEM UP...

...sometimes I think that the very weight - issues, challenges, situations, and circumstances - are weights that we put on ourselves and/or allow ourselves to deal with because we haven't made the decision not to pick them up.  I know for me, with the weights that I have picked up that I then made myself to believe were put on me, there was a point sometime in the process where I could have decided that I didn't, wouldn't, and can't accept the weight.  I just didn't make the decision, so therefore the weight that I chose not to deal with became a burden.  It left me resentful, confused, hurt, perplexed, angry, ashamed, and disgusted with me - all ingredients that lead to, at least for me, a dark depression.

Funny thing is, I know that I'm not the only one...

...so I decided that I'm not picking up the weight anymore. Don't get it twisted: Weight is not the same as "responsibility".  Weight is clearly that thing you dealing with that you allow to "rent space" in your mind.  The very thing that you struggle with all because you won't say "NO!" to it.  The very thing that leaves you feeling alone, miserable, and angry at God because you feel like He Himself has put it on you...

...I'm done with that...

...and you can be too...

...just as you made the decision to pick up the weight, now you need to make another decision which can be challenging and difficult, but can be done...

...put it down... 

Categories: change , Christian , encourage , inspiration , life