Make It Personal

 

Make it Personal

Every second the world thrusts at us information, events, stories, and entertainment activities all focused on life from the human standpoint.  Imagine yourself standing in one spot being covered with all these human based things to the point where only your head, shoulders and arms are visible and free! This continuing flow of humanity threatens to engulf you totally.  Imagine seeing within reach of your free arms a bible. You have a choice to reach for the Word to gain knowledge that will free you from the pile of humanity.  The Word in the bible will describe your real purpose and free you from the pile of human concerns before it engulfs you.  What choice do you make?  Seek the Word or continue to be engulfed by the world?

Why reach for the bible?

Within the bible are the spiritual instructions to know, honor, love, and fellowship with God, our Creator.  Know that it is your spiritual life that will lead you to eternal life and fellowship with God not your worldly life.  As you interact with the world you will constantly be challenged to make choices to infuse spirituality into worldly/Godless situations.  The choices you make will lead you either towards God or further away from God into the values, and rules of humans.  Here are some biblical instructions that God has provided to assist you in your walk.

A strong layer of solid concrete is the foundation of many homes.  In your life, allow God to be your concrete foundation.  

Hebrews 13: 6 says,” So we can say with confidence, The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear.  What can mere people do to me?” 

Psalm 28:7.  The Lord is my strength and shield.  I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. 

Making God your concrete foundation offers you help, provides you strength, and protection.

At your foundation is also the power of communicating with God through prayer. 

Ephesians 6:18.  Pray in the spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Speaking to God through prayer, expressing your frustrations, desires, hopes, needs can be done anywhere.  At work, in your car, indoors, outdoors.  Establish a prayer routine that will help you build a relationship you with God.

From our foundation we move towards our personal goals and aspirations.  As you move forward towards your goals, understand that the journey will not be problem free.   You will face difficulties, frustrations and hardships.  You will have doubts.  You will be tempted to make decisions contrary to what God wants you to do.   

James 1:2-4.  Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Romans 5: 3-4. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

In your daily life, understand the presence of sin in the world.  Sin is any transgression against the laws of God.  Realize that some choices people make in terms of life styles are sins against God’s law, not a human right. Don’t get tricked by these references to “human rights” as a reason for condoning un Godly behaviors or lifestyles.

Romans 3:23. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 

Understand that in our daily lives we are subject to situations, where we will have to make a choice to do what is correct and not sinful in nature. How do we control our sinful nature? 

Ephesians 6:10-18 provides the Christian strategy in the spiritual war against sin.  “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.  For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.  Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Your armor can take many forms.  But a full plate of armor requires several pieces linked together.  Here are some examples of what can be in your armor arsenal:

1.       Play gospel music while going to work or school. 

2.       During the week make time to attend a bible study virtually. 

3.       Block out time every day to read and study your bible.

4.       Participate in ministry meetings and church events virtually.

5.       Attend and participate in Sunday School virtually.

6.       Regularly participate in Sunday church services.  

7.       View Christian themed films.

8.       Find a quiet moment in your day while at work or school to just pray, slow your human day down.

9.       Reach out to another believer to check on how they are doing.

10.   Find a nature spot to just enjoy and reflect on what God has given us.

11.   Think about all the blessings in your life, past and present.

Always look for armor arsenal items to help you defend yourself from sin.  Why?

Genesis 4:7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out!  Sin is crouching at the door eager to control you.  But you must subdue it and be its master.

 How you connect with God is a personal decision.   What armor works for you may not fit another person.    Specialize your armor and personal walk with God.

The Bizarro World of our Alleged President

 The Bizarro World Has Arrived

When I was a kid, I used to read Superman comics.  One of the repeating stories was about Superman discovering an alternate universe of Earth.  It was called the Bizarro World.  In the Bizarro world everything was the exact opposite of life in the real world.  The people had white faces that looked like puzzle pieces put together.  Now this was the early 1960s.  So you know there was no chance of having any black characters in the Bizarro world.  That was one thing that was constant between real comic books and the Bizarro world.  No black people were acknowledged!  We simply did not exist in the eyes of regular white people or Bizarro white people.  I realized this morning that the current alleged President of these United States is from the Bizarro world.  That's why he will not accept that he lost the election.  That's why he lies so much!  He is in the wrong alternate universe.  I think NASA should just go get him....put him on whatever rocket they have and send his ass back to the Bizarro world.  Problem over and we can move on with the transition.

Pre Election Thoughts -2020

 It was November 2016.  My wife and I were touring the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C.   It was the day before the Presidential and national elections.  We were awed by the coverage the museum provided of OUR story as African Americans. A story never fully and honestly told in the American education system.  We returned to the museum the next day, election day, as we felt one day didn't give the museum enough time.  

That evening, we all were given just what we deserved.  A President was elected who has promoted un godly, un Christian like behavior.  A name calling bully who could find no wrong in himself and his behavior.  We as people have implemented all types of decisions and lifestyles that go directly against what we have been taught as creations of God.  We have sought to do whatever we wanted to do regardless of what we have been told God wants us to do or how to behave. Our reward was to be given a President fitting for the behavior and lifestyles we have condoned and supported.

Then we were given Covid.  Another warning regarding our behavior.  Behavior that had us worshipping everything from athletes, entertainers and all the human focused activities we participated in before Covid.  With Covid we were shown that our man made idols, and most of our human activities had no real value or purpose, except to promote our own human desires.

Now we as humans are being given a chance to correct the political course we chose in 2016.  Are enough of us going to participate in the human process of voting to correct the course?  God is waiting to see what we do.  Then he will decide if we are ready to get back on track.

Covid 19 and its resolution is another story.  Our behaviors overall shows there is a large contingent of people who have not gotten the message.  Or they have decided to ignore the message and promote human superiority as the answer to Covid.  Covid seemed to be a great opportunity for many of us to modify our lifestyles and behavior.  A great opportunity to live in accordance with the principles established by God on how we should live and behaver. 

As we enter both the winter season of Covid and the political winter, we should all pause and ask ourselves "Did I get the message and respond accordingly?"

As of today, Covid has yet to have a negative impact on my life.  On the contrary, I have learned to manage my finances better; improved my health; avoided many situations and places not beneficial to me; and made more time to spend reading and then trying to apply the Word of God.

The politics of the President has irritated me but otherwise I understand that God is in control, not a man spouting hatred and stupidity.  No matter what happens tomorrow life will continue as it always continues.  

Why worry about what you cannot control?

A Real Life Testimony on How God truly does provide.

 Matthew 6:25-34 urges us not to worry about every day life. It reminds us how God provides everything we need and to have faith.  Our disconnect is not understanding that what WE think we need may not truly be what we need!

Our human culture often attempts to define what we need via commercials on television, and other visual methods that depict riches, and material items we should aspire to.  Those items and images are forced upon us.  Those images are often not what we need.

My spouse and I have achieved our dream of having a winter getaway home, only through the grace of God.  We always thought we could not afford a second home/winter getaway home unless we had a financial windfall such as winning a lottery.  But, God showed us that our current incomes was sufficient enough to purchase a second home that would be our winter getaway home.  The home is nothing extravagant but it is modern, in a new development, and in a warm weather state.  My wife and I had previously spent the equivalent of two months of mortgage payments at a vacation resort in the past.  So  we knew we had the means, but the question was where to search for the second home?

Last December on one of these expensive vacations, we were relaxing on a bench, God sent to us a gentlemen, I call our Guardian Angel,  who inspired us to put our efforts to finding a winter getaway into action.  God had already placed in my mind that 2020 would be a year when I would cut back on some areas of my spending and just save money.  After talking to our Guardian Angel, I began the serious search for a second home.  This lead to finding an opportunity in Florida.

Here is how God works.  My prior job in Human Resources for the federal government had me as a black male hitting the glass ceiling where jobs I aspired to I was not selected for.  I found myself working in a six figure job with no challenging assignments.  Instead of complaining, I of course continued to seek challenges.  But until the challenges came I used the time to get away from the job and enjoy life.  I traveled to Hawaii, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite Park and other destinations to see the world.  I called it my Pre Retirement Tour.

God then allowed an opening to occur in Human Resources where I was selected to be  a key program manager for 2 years.  After that again the glass ceiling was put back into place above me.  I sought positions across the country seeking to earn the salary I made and new challenges.  Finally God lead me to a Director of Human Resources job in Saint Louis, Missouri where I had spent the first 11 years of my life.  While there one of the employees on my staff became one of my friends.  After I retired from that job we stayed in touch.  This friend told me about a community in Florida to check out as he had moved there.  I finally followed his lead after meeting my Guardian Angel last December.

That community is where my wife and I found our getaway home that provides everything that we need. It's within driving distance of a beach, and provides all the privacy and other amenities that we need and desired of a second home.

Sometimes what we already have is what we need.  Sometimes God has already provides us the means to have what we need.  Beware of those shows on television that display grandiose homes and feature lottery winners who are buying their dream homes.  Call timeout in your life.  Assess if God has already provided what you need.  He did for us.

What Happened to Lysol?

 

Whatever happened to Lysol?  Remember him?  Before Covid, Lysol was the Man.  Lysol was in every home. Just hanging out in cabinets.  You could always find Lysol waiting on grocery store shelves.  Just waiting for you to take him to your home.  Lysol was a staple on drug store shelves.  Lysol had his yellow can wardrobe, blue can wardrobe, and sometimes would break out in his green can wardrobe.  You needed something sanitized fast you would grab Lysol and Lysol would take care of business.  Then Lysol would just take up guard again on the shelf until called upon next time. 

Germs and viruses would see Lysol and turn the hell around.  Lysol Jones.  Had his own commercials.  They would play the theme to Shaft in black homes when using Lysol.  “I’m talking about Lysol. Well we can dig it.”  I would spray Lysol everywhere.  Inside cars.  On couches.  In bathrooms.  Sinks.  Spray bedsheets.  Toilet seats.  Light switches.  Door knobs.  Trash cans.  Clothes. I even used Lysol as air freshener.  I just knew Lysol would take care of business.

Then came Covid 19.  Once Covid came out Lysol just disappeared.  It’s like in the Avengers Infinity War movie where the Hulk got scared of Thanos.  Bruce couldn’t make the Hulk come out.  The Hulk was saying “nooooooo!” Covid scared the hell out of Lysol.  So, Lysol just left town.  Went out to the   mountains in isolation waiting for Covid to leave.  Somebody said they even saw one yellow can of Lysol in Antarctica. Then somebody else said they saw Lysol in Africa in the jungle. 

Bad boy Covid is still hanging around acting a damn fool. So now when you go to any store you can’t find a Lysol can anywhere.  You just see signs, “Him gone!” Now in place of Lysol you got all these second-class super hero virus fighters.  Stuff that people made in their bathroom tubs and stuff and forced into cans and bottles.  Labels all crooked on the can.  Instead of a spray can, you have to pump stuff out and throw it at what you want sanitized.  These pretenders have tough names too.  Like “Wipe out”. “Virus Blaster”. “Oh no you don’t!” and “B Gone”.

I do want to see Lysol take on Covid one on one.  Don’t wimp out like the Hulk did.  I want Lysol to come back meaner and tougher.  Redesign the Lysol can.  Make it all black. Put some bold red and green letters on the can L Y S O L.  Two black power fists coming out of the top of the can.  Make some commercials where Lysol comes out of the sky and lands right in front of Covid.  Then Lysol blasts Covid with Lysol rays and just evaporates Covid in mini explosions.  That’s the American way.  Victory through violence.

Those who thought they were superior to Covid 19

 There is something inherently wrong with the President and other politicians being admitted to hospitals for early symptoms of Covid 19.  Am I wrong when it seems the average person has not been admitted to hospitals until they have severe symptoms?  In fact, back in March of this year a former associate of mine who had called the doctor and hospital several times as his symptoms got worse was told to not to come to the hospital for immediate treatment.  He and his oldest son eventually died of Covid 19.

Does a person's position/status in life determine when and what  treatment they receive?  The President is supposed to have been given special drug cocktails and experimental treatments.  These same cocktails and treatments have not been available to "average" people.  Ironically the President, his family, and his friendly politicians are the same people who refused to wear a mask at public gatherings.  It was their choice not to wear a mask to protect themselves and those they would come into contact with after the gathering.

So now we are supposed to pray for them and feel sad because they made  bad decisions to not wear a mask, or to sponsor or  attend public gatherings?  No.  I sympathize with those who tried to practice safety during Covid but still were infected.  Those who did not take precautions and flaunted their perceived superiority over Covid are now facing the consequences of their decision.  

Now will their behavior change?  Will they now wear a mask and avoid sponsoring public events?  Let's find out....

Letter to the Mayor of Fishers, Indiana on diversity of materials in local library

 Mayor Fadness,

 As a retired person on a fixed income, I try to find ways to save money.  One way is to use our local library to obtain books instead of purchasing a book for a one time reading only.

 

As a black person, the topics I seek are often covered by minority authors. Or the topics in a book might run contrary to the belief that European Americans can do no wrong.

 

In the past two years I have sought several books from the Hamilton East Public Library.  I have often been shocked to find out that some classic books by black author, or controversial books involving treatment of black people in this country, are not part of the library’s holdings.  To their credit the library does try to obtain the books using the interlibrary loan system.  In some cases the library has even purchased books by black authors that I suggested.

 

One of the books I sought from Hamilton East is titled, “Before the Mayflower” by Lerone Bennett.  It is a classic book on the history of black people in the United States from our roots to enslavement.  The library obtained it through the interlibrary loan system and did not decide to purchase it for its holdings.

 

Fishers prides itself on being  one of the top upcoming municipalities in the United States.  This does not seem to follow in the area of diversity and availability of diverse library holdings.  I also found that books on the treatment of Native Americans seem to be un welcomed as part of the library’s holdings.

 

The library has sent me a link to the policy on what books and materials the library will seek.  I understand that approximately 90% of Fishers’ citizens are European Americans.  But does that mean that only topics and viewpoints of European Americans will be sought for the holdings of the library?  To paraphrase a current theme, the Fishers library does  not make it seem as if “all lives matter”.  Or the phrase, “God Bless the United States of America….and no one else.”.  The content of the library’s holdings makes it seem as if topics involving non white races/cultures are not aggressively sought.  Viewpoints that paint European Americans in a negative view seem to be kept out of the library. 

 

Fishers has initiated a race relations initiative.  That is a positive move.  Just understand that if supporting institutions such as libraries, schools etc. do not promote diversity your actions will not succeed.  If the viewpoints of minorities are not sought via something as basic as library books in the holdings of the public library, progress is not being made.

 

Books that outline what really happened to Native Americans, and books that document the massacre of black people during and after Reconstruction must be shared.  It is only through revelation of the facts that healing from past racist policies can occur.

 

Sincerely,

 

Mr. Arnell Hill