The ONE Retreat with The Remnant back in October was beyond amazing. The big project I alluded to in my September post was a feature length live action/live acting movie called ONE. It was presented in two parts as the message presentation for the retreat. And it was amazing. We shot and edited the whole thing in a month. And we hardly skimped on the tricks. It was a beast of a project, but more than worth it. Aside from the great reactions we got from the movie we shot for the message presentation, the life change and immediate impact of that weekend was beyond words. Students and volunteers alike, we were really privileged to experience God engaging us all on very personal levels throughout our experiences that weekend.

Before the high of the ONE retreat had even worn off, I was on my way to New York about a week later to support my colleagues at CTV receiving a really presitigious award. The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) and UNITY: Journalists of Color recognized our station’s news department with an Edward R. Murrow Award for our investigative report series Black White and Shades of Gray, a look into the relationship between the PG county police department and the community over the past 30 years. Specifically our award was a commendation for our commitment to presenting the dynamics of diversity in our community. My contribution was the series intro, supporting graphics, and overall technical supervision. To say the least I was excited just to be involved and to have someone I’ve never met before give a nod to a project I had a real part in bringing together. But they were probably easier to impress than those teenagers the week before

Catch Rochelle aka @RochelleReports from CTV at 2:50.

I turned 25 October 19th! *cheers* Ironically, one of the things I wanted to do for 25 was go to the B&H Superstore in New York and buy something. I’m a geek. I know. So guess what I did before the awards show? Haha. Didn’t buy anything extravagant, just an obscure audio accessory I would rather see in person rather than buy online. But that store really was SUPER. Never seen anything like it.

On a more serious note, I’m really glad to have simply made it to 25. The years between 18-24 are statistically precarious for Black men in America. As much as I tried to stay out of trouble and as much as my parents worked to keep me on the right track, I’ve got friends and schoolmates that didn’t make it this far, and trouble found me enough times to be sure to thank God for still being here.

Going back to The Remnant, a big shift in the ministry’s usual routine was revealed just before Christmas: there would no longer be any Friday night services for Remnant. Instead, the youth ministry at First Baptist Church of Glenarden known as R.E.B.E.L.S. for Life would be teaming up with The Remnant for one huge Friday service aimed at teenagers and college students in the DMV at Glenarden’s amazing new worship center. We call it MERGE.

And last but certainly not the least update….. I’ve officially registered my video and DJ services company Dual Caliber Media!!!! Quality in both skill and character! Look out for the website, logo, and spotlights on some amazing people and amazing work coming from Dual Caliber Media! Follow on twitter @DualCaliber!

A friend of mine recently asked me and others to give our two cents on what Romans 6:13-14 is talking about. The response I emailed is below:

Romans 6:13-14 (New International Version)

13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

I would be sure first to read the surrounding verses to give you some context. But there is certainly something deep and amazing here that may not be immediately visible. The last part of verse 14 regarding being under the law or under grace is what Paul presents as the big idea of this train of thought. At first glance, I didn’t think too much of it, but the way it’s written, all of Paul’s reasoning seems to come down to that last statement.

Under the law, men were given hundreds of things to do in light of their sinfulness, just to remind us how much we don’t come close to God’s holiness. All the offerings, practices, etc were centered around the idea that they have fallen short and cannot be considered righteous. Those however who trusted in the prophecies of Christ coming, all the way back then, were saved by grace and given His righteousness. Under grace, we are no longer viewed by God nor expected by God to live in light of our sinfulness, but instead in light of Christ’s righteousness being bestowed on us as if it were our own.

Everything now is about living towards God in light of our righteousness, Christ’s righteousness. Not continuing to approach life from the standpoint of someone who can’t live up to God’s holy standard, but instead as someone who already does, regardless of what we actually do. Even when we do wrong, Christ’s righteousness is what God sees. Everything we do now in regards to confession, repentance, devotion, etc is not simply out of reaction to sin but part of a plan to help us realize on the outside the change that has already been made on the inside.

So when Paul says do not offer your bodies to sin, but to righteousness, because we are under grace, what he’s saying is you’ve truly been reborn, and the new “you” can live this life. It’s not so much a flat command to live holy, but a direction and instruction on what to do with this new freedom, this new opportunity to live on a different plane from those who aren’t under saving grace. It’s like you just got legs and he’s telling you this is what people with legs do. The Christian life begins with faith in the power of the gospel, and it continues in that faith.

Hide scripture in your heart that you may not sin, because memorization never would’ve changed you before. Come before the throne boldly with prayer, because you couldn’t even come close to surviving an encounter with God before. Live pure so that lust doesn’t jeopardize how great your life can be, because you are now able to live better than that.

This scripture and the line of thinking presented in this passage is so much more than a “stop doing what you’re doing” type of passage. It’s really a “go out and live like you’ve never lived before, because now you really are ALIVE” type of passage. This is exciting stuff! Don’t you think?

There’s a whole lot of cross references that can be done on the ideas of being dead and alive in relation to our spirits and actions, sin being a master… but I think this is the focus that you’re looking for. Let me know your thoughts.

This revelation excited me so much. Not that it was completely new, but really the first time I can recall writing it out and seeing it in these verses. I’ve been slooowwwwly making my way through an inductive study of Romans chapter 8, a chapter I believe has wells of encouragement in walking this walk I’ve never encountered before. Chapter 6 as part of the context of chapter 8 has struck me before as describing unfathomable power in the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit to secure salvation for men. And now to have both chapters speaking to me so powerfully through what these verses imply about the grace we’ve been given…I’m without words. So let me give an example.

In the context of Romans 6:13-14, Paul would tell a believer who’s an alcoholic that drinks to deal with life’s disappointments, that he doesn’t have to do that anymore. If he’d rather find a constructive way to deal with his pain, he can. That’s the fundamental point behind this train of thought. In Christ, you can make decisions toward your good, the true good. Without the Holy Spirit, we choose sin. Cuz that’s what sinners do. With Him, we are rewired with the ability to choose sin or righteousness. And if we desire righteousness, we now have the power to walk in it.

This is not to say there is no battle to choose at times. There are a million reasons sin will look more appealing than the beneficial path. But even more so when we want to do right, but feel like we can’t (talking to believers here), we have to go back to this truth and say I CAN. And step forward. Leave the rest to the King. We may have to take up certain disciplines to help our body catch up with what we’ve determined in our minds. Just as a marathon runner must train their body to run farther and farther. Sometimes you’ve gotta do things to get it through to your body that this habit will change. But in the end all you’re really doing is working under grace to reveal what God has already done in you. It’s in you! And I hope now you know it! Cuz I didn’t, but I do now! PRAISE GOD!

Zion Church in Glenarden, Maryland is where I call home right now. I joined in June this year and have already been thrown back into serving through their youth ministry’s video arts team. I’ve known about and attended Zion on occasion since 2004, but never thought I’d be calling it the best place for me to serve within my community.

As I began my search for a church closer to home I knew I wanted to go somewhere where I would have the opportunity to run into other members any day on the street. I wanted to go to church and then be told to turn around and do outreach in my own neighborhood, to my own neighbors. I also wanted a multicultural experience like the one I had at Union Station. But then I remembered I’m in PG County, so the latter became optional. So as I looked up and around, and thought about where all my friends in the area go to church, it became obvious: Zion is where my friends and neighbors go.

And Zion…..Zion is sO PG. It just doesn’t get anymore PG than Zion Church. And I love it. The leadership and the atmosphere they set fits my DNA so well it’s a wonder I didn’t end up there in the first place. The word is practical, the approach is strategic, and the community is authentic. Plugged in with some fellas who live around my way, getting a chance to use my talents in a setting that’s the perfect balance of youth ministry and media communications. If you’ve never heard of The Remnant, I’m sure you’d never forget attending. Right now we’re pushing through an ambitious project for The Remnant’s Fall Retreat early next month. I’ll be sure to share more when the cat’s out of the bag.

As for now I’m good. I’ll grow here, I’ll learn here, and I’ll change here. The change that immediately comes to mind is this feeling of having a segmented life. Seeing people from church on the street and hanging out with them and their friends in my own area is something I haven’t experienced in a long time. It brings a comforting sense of local support but also makes me more mindful of how different I can act with different circles. And while on some levels it’s necessary, on others it’s unhealthy. But that’s another post, so we’ll see how that develops.

Who is the community that you let influence your life?

My twitter friend @SewIntoHem posted this video the other day. She was considering blogging about it, and after watching it, I was too. We decided to tag team it by posting about it on both our blogs. Check out the twitter convo we had below, and her blog at mouthofbabes.wordpress.com.

Her: What that man said was so powerful, because we often get caught up in what we’re entitled to–especially the black community.

Her: When we finally get our piece of the pie, we think we’ve accomplished something. However, that’s not what matters to God or to people.

Me: i think the first thing about it that was powerful was that he said it in front of a black audience! that #fail, was an ultimate success!

Her: If all you have to show for your life is how rich you were, your legacy means nothing and, most tragically, God will not accept you.

Me: Well, i think the size of some churches that Cone says have “lost their legacy” would suggest it matters to people a lot

Me: but i think that’s part of the deception. we took the easy route by throwin money at ppl, like the devil. instead of showin them a cross

Me: i think part of that fail we should be expecting is that some ppl won’t like the cross, and turn away from the church

Me: but the ultimate success would be seen in those who were drawn and changed by the cross

Me: Cone didnt really elaborate on that whole “fail” idea for the church. what do u think it might be?

Her: That’s very true. A lot of pastors pat themselves on the back for creating Jesus fans, but what we need are Jesus followers.

Her: I think for us it would mean losing the celebrity endorsements, being ridiculed by the general public by being too conservative.

Her: For some churches, it would mean losing the majority of their membership or suffering a hit to their bank accounts.

Me: Yes!

Me: i gotta say, Cone’s words and courage encouraged me deeply in allowing ppl to see my weakness when i present Christ, rather than polished up

Me: i think the ridicule we get nowadays is more bcuz our claims of belief dont match our actions on a wide scale

Me: i think the world would go nuts if we showed the power of God behind the scriptures we quote

Me: How did u find this vid?

Her: Amen! I totally agree & I have no idea lol I was just palling around on Youtube

[a few hours later...lol]

Me: Sorry for the late response. Lol at palling around tho. Pop culture at it’s best. I’m gonna try to make Cone my e-mentor. Need that support

Her: lol there’s another video on there too from the same panel discussion and he went IN!

Me: FYI i found the video of the whole conference on CSPAN’s website. Def plannin to watch/skim thru it ~> http://cs.pn/aKnuCT

Her: Oooh! I wanna watch the whole thing! lol Well, a good chunk of it.

Her: Ummm 4 hrs….maybe not lol

Me: lol right. realizing this all took place in 2003, i really wonder what has taken place since this discussion

Her: Not jack has happened! Just like every other panel discussion, conference, etc., nothing gets solved. It’s probably gotten worse.

Me: yeah. if secret meetings between Black church leaders really started in 2003, we’d start to see the results, at least a little by now

Her: it’s just sad because so many people talk about what needs to be done, but very few people take the time to do it.

Her: That’s why i like what Cone said about loving God w/ ur mind, because so many ppl just go to church just to shout and be entertained.

Her: And when it’s all over, they say “the spirit really moved”. No it didn’t, b/c if it did there would be a genuine transformation in ur life.

Me: i wonder what his church home is like, and who they collaborate with in their city

Me: this dude’s Wiki is something interesting. some real controversy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hal_Cone

Her: Yea, I read that lol I found it interesting…& then I said to myself “Does anything that I’m reading affect what I got from that video?” No

Me: ha, right. it’s funny though how it’s always the slightly extra ministers that speak with the most urgency and boldness

Me: the ones who are most popular seem to have real chill verbage

Her: Yeah, they don’t want to say anything too radical or convicting. It might upset their fans….I mean, members.

Me: yeah. whats crazy is with everything the way it is, this is just what God wanted for this point in history

Me: it really makes me wonder what’s going to happen next to shake things up

Her: i’m excited for God to set the church straight, the process is already beginning

Me: what gives you that impression?

Her: I’ve spent a lot of time around a couple of them & my church is under one of them. They’re part of the problem, so they’re gonna play nice.

Me: really? what exactly do you see progressing with them?

Her: pride and watered-down gospel

Me: hmmm what’s been the congregation’s response to the changes?

Her: People seem to be so caught up on personalities that they never raise questions about the direction the church is headed in.

Me: Word. and THAT is a blog post in itself, so what do u say we wrap this here? this was tight!

Her: Lol Yeah it was, I have enough to write about for a month. I’m glad I watched this.

Me: glad u shared it!

As I did so many times as a kid and teenager I turned to television for the answer. To me, television reflects a lot of our society’s collective values. Some of my favorite sitcoms are The Office, Scrubs, Everybody Loves Raymond, and King of Queens. What do they celebrate about men? Well, not much in my opinion. Yeah, they’re comedies, but most of the lead male characters are morons who seem to only get things right on accident. Jim from the Office seems like the exception, but the abundance of buffoons surrounding him, on his show and in his genre, suggest that level-headed gentlemen who are leaders and the romantic type are one in a million. And maybe we are, but the propagation of cave men has a much bigger platform.

Provocative Old Spice Ad

Then there’s the message pornography sells to dudes. And I’m not talking about just the unspeakable stuff little kids accidentally find online. I mean the music videos, the magazines, the advertisements, club fliers… everywhere.

Bottom line: do/use/buy/act __________, and get women, because nothing matters more than having a woman want you. The subtle cues of television celebrate the man who gives a woman whatever she wants, submits to whatever she wants, and makes no qualms with that being his reality. The more explicit stuff just says it more explicitly.

Those type of men don’t need brains. Arguably. they don’t even need hearts. And they don’t have any significance outside of what they can do for women. That’s not the man God molded. That’s Adam at his lowest point… the very Fall of mankind.

be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements … so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go – 1 Kings 2:2-3

Be strong. Show you’re a man. Do what God says. Everything else will be taken care of.

Be strong. This comes before “Show yourself a man” in this English translation of the Bible. For me, it confirms that it’s expected to really take something out of you to act like a man. It doesn’t just happen. Puberty doesn’t make men. Work, courage, and strength make men.

Show yourself to be a man. Prove it to yourself. God already knows who he made, and you can’t rely on a corrupted society to care. So show yourself what God made: walk in His ways. Trust that everything else will be taken care of.

This…. this is the challenge to male-kind. There’s none like it, none higher, and none more difficult. Anything less than aiming to live like God in human form, is weak. It’s not manly. It’s not the man God made. It’s the man, man made. And like everything else we make, it will fail us.

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Entries coming soon:

1. We’re Not on Capitol Hill Anymore, Toto (new church adventures)

2. Adam’s Essentials: Work and a Wife

Oh and if this wasn’t enough of an entry for you, or even if it was, go check out my man Adam Taylor’s blog. He’s getting ready to move to Ethiopia indefinitely to serve the country’s street children population. Definitely a life worth telling about. Oh and this has nothing to do with my second upcoming entry. I mean, you could’ve guessed that, right?

Love is patient! (1 Cor 13:4) Live in Love yall! (1 John 4:16)

It’s time for me to find a church closer to home.  I need to make myself more available and accessible to the people in whatever church I call home. Two and a half years ago all I wanted was to find a church with a good word. Six months wandering through a biblical wasteland, after breaking camp from a church that taught God’s Word, will do that to you. And I found one. And oh, did I learn.

I walked in when Mark started the Chase the Lion series. It was like I was picking up right where I left off [short break to allow eye sweat....] in talking to God about whether leaving my old church was the right thing to do. From that sermon on I got so much conviction and affirmation…

I found out that my intensity to follow the Lord wherever he would lead was not something to be “tamed”, but embraced. I learned that my desire to see things done well and not just “good enough for church” was not a carnal mentality from the world but a  God-given rebellion against the spiritualized mediocrity I’ve encountered way too often. I stopped letting the things I heard in church remain conceptual, and demanded that my heart find a way to apply everything. I changed the way I thought about work, and came to terms with the fact that I was believing I could do more in seven days than God could do with six. I stopped avoiding and running from the burden God gave me for club hoppers looking for what can only be found in Christ. I found that creativity fosters a special connection to the Creator that is to be treasured by the Church, not downplayed or disregarded. Then there were a thousand different one-liners and ideals that never left me from the first time I heard them.

“Never let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshiping what’s right with God.”

“God cares more about who you are becoming than what you are doing or where you are going.”

“God can do more with 6 days than you can do by yourself in seven.”

“Every encounter has the potential to be a divine appointment.”

“Chase the Lion!”

“Everything is an experiment”

“Playing it safe is risky”

“We exist primarily for the people who are not here yet”

and then about a million lines that began with “God is in the business of…”

And behind all that, I was being stretched socially and relationally. Anti-social is like my nickname when I don’t keep an eye on myself. I can get so swept up in my own ambitions, preferences, and personal hangups that I would flippantly toss people to the wayside to keep myself satisfied. Then I started going to church in the city, and somewhere along the line I started caring about people. Like really caring about people. More than my own work or desires or vulnerabilities. I started prioritizing giving my time to others over keeping it for myself. I started making it a point to call, email or Facebook people, or simply pray for them when they came up in my thoughts. I started bringing down my walls so that my brethren around the world could “stand firm knowing that others around the world are suffering the same things” (1 Pe 5:9). I started fighting for friendships.

[I gotta keep this moving to keep my composure....]

But now this is where I find myself. Having to say goodbye to friends who have become familiar with the DeAndre’ that I still see as a stranger in the mirror. At any given point in the week, I’m in DC, to Bowie and Largo, Silver Spring, Temple Hills, northen VA on occassion, and ultimately spreading myself between so many friends and groups and places, that I’m missing out on the one thing  a believer can’t get and be all over the place at the same time: deep and consistent fellowship. Fellowship. Not just the hanging out with friends, go to the movies, a lil Bible study or a cordial “how are you?” passed around at Christian events. But that real, my life isn’t good if yours isn’t good type of fellowship. The kind that does all the casual stuff but isn’t afraid to break away from it to make sure everyone is thriving or at least determined to hang on in their walk with Christ. I’ve certainly had that before, but post-college life has a way of changing the shape of your support systems.

So I have to do this. Not for me, but for the me I have yet to become, and for the people that God wants me to embrace this next step of my journey with. I have no idea where I’m going to end up, but the swelling of my heart at the thought of God’s power and presence at work in people who meet while following His will tells me my passion is changing course, and I’ve GOT to keep up. This desire is God-given, and I can’t shake it (Ps 37:4).

Believe me, I prayed for a different answer, a different way, and I prayed til asking again would be hinging on disobedience. But God is good, He is gracious in giving His kids joy, even when we feel sorrow (2 Cor 6:10). And so while I’m striving to smile, I am smiling.

Hopefully I’ll get the chance to see most of yall before I start my search. If not, I’ll be around. Just obviously not the same way. Facebook, Gmail chat (lol), events in the city or at Eb’s, that’ll still be the same. Oh and my paintballers and film heads —- you know what’s up

grace and peace family. I love you and pray that you would live in His love, deeply (1 John 4:16)

¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21

Lately it’s been the theme of sermons I’ve heard, songs I’ve listened to, conversations I’ve had, movies I’ve watched, and things I’ve experienced. It’s not anything new or whatever, but just something usually so rare in my day-to-day that it fascinates me, and for some reason has it direct access to my usually well-guarded emotions (I was “under attack” at the movie, lol). Humble love is when someone expresses their care for another person without any attempt to hold back how much they value that person. It’s the kind of love that leaves that person so vulnerable for a rejection that you would get depressed just witnessing them get shut down.

God’s been indisputably the most unashamed lover of all time (and “before and after” time). I mean really…. who leaves the comfort of the place everyone would rather be, to be with people? PEOPLE. PEOPLE SUCK SO MUCH. Not only did he come down to the “worst place under heaven”, but then he put on this achy, disease-prone, smelly earth suit we call a body. He wrapped himself in veins and connected them to a brain so he could intimately feel every ounce of the pain he would endure. Then in ways no one can understand, he took on the sin of every member of the elect, experiencing within himself the disgustingness of every single perversion of His creation, in order to punish Himself as if he had committed the crimes. And all this for beings that would make Him look like a fool for ever loving them in the first place for several thousand years. Even the angels look at us and then look at God like he married Ugly Betty (1 Pe 1:12-13).

The couple speaking in the Song of Solomon showed this kind of love too. The first time I read it I didn’t care too much about the so-called explicitness of their allusions. I was thrown by how they were able to say how they really felt about the other person, without holding back out of fear or pride. I think it stuck out to me because at the time I was creating a lifestyle around the idea of loving as shallowly as possible, so rejection will just roll off of me. That’s what I was learning from TV, music, peers, and that’s what they are still teaching to billions of impressionable minds as you read these words. “F the world and don’t care about anyone or anything —- then you can’t get hurt, and no one will ever catch you not looking ‘cool’ “.

Obviously on a romantic tip humble love is only safe within marriage. The same way a fire in a house is only a good thing in the fireplace. In the right context, everyone’s happy. Anywhere else… you get the idea. Friends show it by doing things for each other expecting nothing in return. Or even quietly by not eating certain foods or listening to certain music when your friend is on a diet or has a particular personal problem with a certain artist or genre. Or even avoiding certain words that you and your friend have conflicting opinions about. That’s humble love too. Valuing others over your own preferences and comfort. Not life or death issues, just regular, everyday differences.

Nowadays I find myself wanting to know the God who loves humbly, and I’m only able to grow closer to Him by walking in His footsteps. I used to think other people were pointless, I mean not worth a thing beyond what they could do for me. Now, God’s got me actually valuing not just people in general, but solid friendships. That’s absurd to one side of me. Valuing people just for who they are? But it’s true! I actually want to value people! To me that’s crazy, but that’s growing in my heart.

But here is the conflict…

At the same time the old me is fighting to preserve itself. All this giving of one’s self for others’ benefit is like suicide. Or like self-sacrifice. In this world, it’s like skipping through the Maryland Ave NE projects with your arms wide open wearing a vest made of stuffed animals….you’re wearing your memorial. What usually ends up dying so humble love can thrive is pride, selfish ambition, conceit…things strongly attached to the slowly-fading old me. Now, when I find myself fighting to maintain and hold onto the very things the old me despised and feared (authentic relationships with people), it actually takes a lot out of me. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. I walked into the last fight with a prayer before me and Jehovah-Nissi behind and above me, and if I’m diagnosing this right, I’m STILL trying to get my energy back. I’ve had some draining experiences before, but I don’t know what this is about. Didn’t think it was that serious. But I digress…it may be withdrawal from this work-a-holic detox I’m going through too.

I really am tired though, so…… yeah.

Love is not proud (1 Cor 13:4). Live in Love yall (1 John 4:16)

PS – Have you ever encountered, or desired, humble love? Ever shown it? What has it cost you?

One of the things that I find that I’m being forced to address is this flesh vs spirit vs indwelling sin vs the Holy Spirit thing. I feel like I know what it’s saying already, the whole you’re not your old self, you’re brand new but still have to decide whether to use your body for good (God’s glory) or evil (your own glory). But of course what you believe is shown through your actions. And most of the time I feel guilty for having any type of evil thought pop up in my head. I haven’t fully embraced the truth that that’s OK. That’s sin lurking it’s ugly ahead, trying to appeal to me. But it’s not me. I’m the spirit being living inside this body that’s constantly being given suggestions for what to do. It’s just that sin seems to make offers more frequently or maybe more insistently than the Holy Spirit. Or at least that’s what it seems like. Maybe it’s just that I’m more used to the voice of the sin in me than the Holy Spirit. That would make sense, seeing as the Holy Spirit only showed up after about 14 years of listening to sin, and then sin didn’t leave after the Holy Spirit moved in either. It lost the throne, but it didn’t move out.

Today’s message at church was about the Holy Spirit. I can’t really point out anything I hadn’t heard before, which is just as good as God saying to me “you already know what to do, there’s nothing more to it. Just go do it”. And just like Jesus’ thick-headed disciples in John 14:5 I’m sitting here like “do what”? And Jesus is like “You already know!”

Disciples are supposed to learn by doing. Or at least that’s what the word means. So I guess it’s time for a lot of doing. Pray that I “learn” stupid things as little as possible.

Love always perseveres (1 Cor 13:7). Live in Love yall (1 John 4:16)

OH YEAH! New mantra for my list: Live vicariously. Through yourself.

Today I tried a little harder than usual to be diligent at work. I thrive on deadlines and competency. Right now things are slow and I’m trying to learn software that’s beyond my expertise. Therefore, it’s difficult for me to be gung ho about it like I should. I’m gonna try even harder tomorrow. Maybe post a scripture on the wall in my office about diligence or something…

Met with my boys— I mean the Iron Men today. I realized/remembered today that one of my wider, deeper tensions with the flesh and the new me comes from being relatively unfamiliar with God’s principles regarding romantic relationships compared to what I learned from the world. I’d be doing better with that if I started with a truly clean slate rather than having to be deprogrammed and re-educated.

The Re-Education of Lauryn Hill…. if you don’t have that mixtape, look it up. S he got saved, among other things that happened when she “flew the coop” some years back. I mean she got in her WORD. Check it out you’ll see what I’m talkin about.

Happy Birthday Reggie and Steven! Yall my boys! Proud of yall! Alllll day!