Monday, October 19, 2020

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.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

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!

Saturday, October 3, 2020

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....