Clocked In

What a day at work!!!

Most of my friends and family have no idea what I do for money, they know I am a personal trainer and coach of some sorts, but my main source of income derives from my work as a Program Assistant at a Non-Profit organization called the Fellowship Cup. The organization is faith-based in Christianity and serves the community in it's major areas of need which include food for the under-served, shelter-assistance, medical equipment, school-meals for students and an auxillary store that furnishes plenty of housing and daily living needs.

Today...I understood why I work where I work more then ever. I won't go into details, but through adversity, set-backs and the elements themselves the staff battled and continued fighting the good fight!!! We don't get a lot of good publicity for what we do because sometimes we have to turn people away and also say "No" even though it's so hard to do!!! Today, my staff earned their pay and fought through all the way until the final tick of the clock.

But I Love my job because we work so hard to serve not just our community but our God through the service he has called us to do. I Love my co-workers; they've taught me so much in how to work, why I work and just life in general. I've also grown a Love for a community I didn't grow up in, yet I find beauty in the smiles of these children and the faces of their families. I know God called me here for a reason. My time here will not last forever but I thank him for the opportunity to serve where I am right now!!! I appreciate that folks, God stay raining down blessings even when you don't see them. Good day friends!!! Peace and God Bless

Lessons from Monopoly

When I was a kid, my brothers and sisters would often play Monopoly (The Ghetto Cutthroat Version). We would beg, borrow and deal to capitalize on the best properties and bankrupt each other to claim the title as the best. Often, I learned harsh lessons on property, money management and sheer life by chance. Whenever I landed on my brother's property (Especially Boardwalk with a hotel) I know he was a vicious landlord. He wanted the debt paid right then and there and would eviscerate any and every scrap of cash or property to get his. Well...I've come to find he was giving me a good lesson on how the world is.

As a college graduate I know this feeling all too well. I'm black, broke and baffled by the prospect of student loans catching up to me everyday!!! I have a pretty trifling credit score and I am definitely a qualifier for low-income tax breaks (According to my tax lady). 

Crazy thing is I am in good spirits, I have the whole world in front of me as a prospect and I can smile through the embarrassing and often overwhelming possibility of not achieving what is expected. I have an inheritance no one can steal. God promised it to me after his son was murdered for my flaws, my mistakes and my sins. So I guess you can say...I am RICH!!! (Are you confused Yet???!!!) 

It's a confusing and down-right mysterious thing because the good guy died for the bad guys. The innocent died for the guilty, the giver of life for the murderer, the debtor died for those who were indebted. (See Mark 10:45) I have much debt, in real life and in the spiritual world, but when God sees me, he won't see that ridiculously long list of shameful deeds and painful mistakes, he will see his son, his Love, his gift, grace and mercy. 

Crazy thing is, now instead of only feeling like I owe God, I feel inspired by him. It's like a gift back to me. Of course I owe him, but it's not the burden or the pressure like before. There is a certain freedom I have now to pursue my path and give my all everyday. There are struggles, there have been. I still stumble, I still make mistakes, but I have to remember to look beyond me and look to the one who paid the debt I couldn't. That would be great if I could do that with my student loans too, but I will take my eternal gift instead.

I guess that was something I couldn't learn in Monopoly, that when it really counts, someone can Love you so much that they have mercy on you to not give you what you deserve, but instead hand you a gift you could have never had any other way. Amen

Washing Feet

Matthew 22:36-40

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt Love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'"

So, this is the motivation...
This is the purpose of it all...

So if you have to wash feet, DO IT!!! Smile, laugh and scream out your Love for God while doing it. Or, wash those windows, pick those strawberries, look after those bad children, serve ungrateful people and unruly customers with thankfulness in your heart because the Son of God died for you.

So, tomorrow I'll go to work and I pray that I can remember always and forever that the King of Kings loved me enough to send his son here, to live a perfect life, give us the true gospel, be the living word, be crucified, die, be buried and laid in a grave for 3 days, be resurrected by the Holy Spirit, leave that same spirit with us today...so now I have no choice but to smile, since that same spirit lives in me!!!

- Amen