Someday

Scarface's "The Fix" was a borderline classic. With production from Kanye West and The Neptunes and the incredible single "Guess Who's Back" featuring Jay-Z and Beanie Siegel, I don't understand how it could be slept on as hard as it has been.

I prefer "The Fix" Scarface to his other incarnations. This may be blasphemy to die hard Scarface fans but it is my opinion. He's more mature and introspective on this album. Of course, he gives you classic gangster material but he also lays bare his soul on love, loss and God.

I just discovered that he had a video for "Someday"; probably my favorite track on "The Fix." Faith Evans is one of my favorite R&B singers, so her addition to the song sealed the deal for me. How she sings, "I just want to be your soldier, I just want to be your vessel, Oooh Lord" at the end makes me tear up every time! I love this song!

Jesus, Be Some Common Sense

Recently there have been lots of rumors floating around about some of today's hottest Black celebrities and devil worship. First Rihanna, then Oprah, and more recently, the power couple Jay-Z & Beyonce. According to some people, who spread these tales via e-mail forwards and Youtube videos, Rih Rih is a satantist, Oprah denounced Christianity on her show, Jay-Z is a Mason and member of the Illuminati, and Beyonce has publicly credited Lucifer for her success.

Yes, my thoughts exactly, Katt.

America is more tolerant of differing views on faith than, let's say, Iran, but if Oprah or Beyonce were to publicly denounce Christianity or shout out the Devil, please believe, they would be boycotted immediately. I don't know who, if anyone, Rihanna worships, therefore I can't really comment on that but singing a song about Russian roulette doesn't make you a satanist. Is her inexplicable success despite her incredible lack of talent the reason people think she's bun buddies with Satan? As far as Jay-Z is concerned, my grandpa is a Mason. Moving on...

Why are people so willing to cast off common sense and embrace gullibility? Why are we so willing to believe this mess? Could it be that people are making up these stories to explain away these public figures' extreme success and their lack thereof? 

It's kind of like Pat Robertson and his insistence that the Haitian revolutionaries made a pact with the devil in order to free themselves from the French. There's no way they could have done it of their own power, right? There's no way God was on their side. Only a pact with the devil would allow a black country to free itself from European tyrants, right? The same lack of logic applies in the cases stated above. There's NO way Jay-Z or Beyonce could have made it where they are based on hard work and constantly cultivating their talents. No way! There's no way God is on the side of a chick like Rihanna! Right, because y'all haven't worn a mini-skirt in your lives, huh? And if you were age, with her body and bank account, you wouldn't show off your shape every chance you got... Right... 

Isaiah 64:6 says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;" ALL, not just Rihanna and Oprah, ALL OF US. Dear Christians, please don't be so self-righteous that you forget where you came from, what you did, how you lived before you knew Him. He showed his mercy to you, why would you deny grace to non-believers?

Spreading these tales without any evidence is irresponsible and it makes you look incredibly gullible and ignorant. This particularly does nothing to further the cause of Christ. We are His representatives in the earth, let's not squander the opportunity to glorify His name by slandering the name of others. 

Grab Your Peace!

Andre 3000 is the best rapper out, in my opinion. He's creative, innovative, courageous, content-rich, and his skills are simply undeniable. Give me 3 Thou over Lil' Wayne any day! I love Jay-Z and his catalog cannot be denied but there's something about 3 Stacks that moves me.

"Aquemini" is one of my favorite Outkast albums. There was something so dark and hypnotic about that album. There is no cohesive theme. To listen from beginning to end is to risk getting lost in the crevices of your mind. As much as I have listened to that album, I can't recite the lyrics to one song. My mind wanders with each rhyme, each insanely delicious melody, each gut wrenching story told so naturally... This album was like a hallucinogen. You see colors and creatures your mind had never imagined when you close your eyes, bob your head and smile when "SpottieOttieDopaliscious" comes on. (Come on yall, SOMEBODY was high when they came up with that title!)

What has me up tonight jonesing on "Aquemini"? The Bible. Yep, you read it right. The Bible. I was reading Exodus 14:14, which says, "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." That one little verse gave me so much. I read that line over and over, in about five different translations but I kept coming back to the King James version, "... and ye shall hold your peace." And then I thought about Andre 3000's opening monologue on "Return of the Gangsta."

Its like niggas always be hollerin peace

Peace my brotha, peace this, peace that You know what im sayin but... Every time I try to get a peace of mind A nigga try to get a piece of mine So i gotta grab my piece

In this song 3000 is letting it be known, you come for my peace, I'm going for my gun! But the Lord has a different course of action, one that will never fail. "The Lord shall fight FOR you and ye shall HOLD your peace." You have to HOLD your peace. You can't let it go! While God is fighting for you, the enemy will try to take your peace from you but you have to tighten your grip and keep holding on!

This sounds easier than it is, right? Of course it does but most times we make it harder for ourselves because we're trying to do the fighting. God has freed your hands to hold on to your peace with because He's FIGHTING FOR YOU. God is invincible, he doesn't need your help to win the fight. Take your hands off the fight, put them on your peace and don't let go!

No Sympathy for You!

Gotcha, suckers!

Dwight Howard is suing his baby mama for $9.2 million and custody of their son. Being that NBA cheerleaders get paid $15 - $50 per game, if that, he clearly isn't expecting to get $9.2 mil out of her. But Dwight's legal battles isn't the reason for this post but it did bring to mind something that I thought about a while ago.  If you are a professional athlete, WHY WOULD YOU DATE A CHEERLEADER? 

I'm tired of these men railing against women for being gold diggers but do everything in their power to ensure they get with the most blatantly out to get your money honeys they can find. Hello??? Cheerleading is the perfect gold digger occupation. You're half naked all the time, close to the athletes and you're being paid peanuts making you more likely to be looking for a come-up. These guys should not be surprised when they get with these chicks and catch a bad one. Her goal is to either get knocked up quick or get that ring on her fourth finger, left hand. 

Dwight isn't the only star athlete to end up in legal trouble with his cheerleading baby moms. Arizona Cardinals' all-world Wide Receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, found himself in some talk show ish a couple of years ago. Think Maury meets Chrihanna meets ESPN. 

Hey fellas, why don't you do us a favor? Quit your bloodclot crying about chicks being in it for the loot if you're not going to be more conscious of who you impregnate. And with that, good day! 

A Random Word

I'm not sure if I can get more random than this but this blessed me so I thought I would share.

John 17:4 (KJV) "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."

How do we glorify God? Finish the work He gave you to do! If He gave you a task, complete it and give Him the glory!

This kind of ties into my last post about my goals for the new year. He gave me some things to do this year and I've got to get them done so He will get the glory in my life.

If He gave you something to do, there's no need to fear or procrastinate because God has equipped you with everything you need to complete the task. So what are we waiting on? Phillipians 1:6 says, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" The last time I checked, Jesus hasn't come knocking on my door so, there is still time for God to show how faithful He is to finish what He started when He put that vision in your heart!

Do you trust God to help you fulfill your dream? If you say you do, what are you doing to show God how much you trust Him? Are you actively working toward completing the task He set before you?

Let's make 2010 the year we truly give God glory by being productive in the areas he has called us to work. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

Making It Happen in the New Year

Happy New Year, everybody! I hope everyone had a good time this weekend and no one got any DUIs or STDs. That is NOT the way to kick off 2010!

I got the new decade popping the right way: in the house of God! Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church was packed and hundreds of people gave their lives to Christ before the clock had even hit midnight! Now THAT'S how you end a decade!

I feel like 2010 is going to be an amazing year. Maybe I feel like this because 2009 was so terrible. I can't hate on '09 that much, though, because I survived it and a lot of people can't say that.

2009 was a year of stagnation, for me. I feel like I wasted an insane amount of time and accomplished nothing other than keeping my job. But, again, I am grateful for that because a lot of people didn't get to keep their jobs. (I'm on my glass half full ish right now! YES!)

I am determined this year to get everything that God has for me. EVERYTHING! In order for me to do that I have to get it right and get it tight. Here are a few areas that I am determined to improve in the new year:

My Home - I moved over a month ago and still haven't completely unpacked. What kind of trifling mess is this? I want my home to be my sanctuary; a place of peace and productivity. My current situation is not conducive to this at all. So, one of my first projects for the year is to create a space that is uniquely my own. My design skills are nil so, if anyone has any tips, HOLLA AT ME! I'm going for a really warm and comfy feel. Wish me luck, guys!

The Obligatory Weight Loss Resolution - My mother died from complications of diabetes in 2004. My grandma on my dad's side died from complications of diabetes in 1996. I have an aunt that has been on dialysis for years and many more family members on both sides dealing with diabetes. I can not afford to play around with my life like this. I just can't. I haven't been working out regularly and my eating habits have been a disaster, lately. My jeans are fitting way too snug and I refuse to buy a bigger size. I just gotta lose the weight I've gained and then some. More important than the weight loss for me is building a lifestyle that promotes good health. I don't want this to be a fad, I want this to be a lifestyle I can model for my kids one day. (That's assuming I ever get around to having any. Ha!)

I went home to Minneapolis for Christmas and I am not the only one in my family that needs to hit Bally's on the regular. I started a family fitness challenge where I basically call and harass my kinfolk about whether or not they have worked out that day. Accountability is key. I know I can be a slacker so, encouragement to stick to it is huge for me.

My church does a fast in the beginning of the year; No fried foods, red meat, sweets, dairy or grains. We can only eat fruits, veggies, nuts and baked/broiled chicken or fish. I thought this was a good way to kick off my new healthy lifestyle. Coupling the healthy eating from the fast with a new dedication to exercise, I should meet my weight loss goal and be a healthier me in 2010.

My Writing - [Puts on her Solange voice] My book could have been done by now, if it wasn't for Twitter! Man, I have spent so much time doing nothing instead of focusing on what I'm supposed to be doing... WRITING! I've neglected my blog and my book. This can not go down in 2010. I've got to make this thing happen ASAP. I've rededicated myself to spend more time reading, writing and doing research. I can't let another year pass me by without making a earnest effort to make my dreams come true.

Anybody have any tips for me on how to complete these goals? Wanna share your New Year's Goals? Don't be a stranger. Hit the comment button!